EC Microbiology

Antimicrobial resistance linked to the food chain represents an important public health issue worldwide. Resistant bacteria, often of zoonotic origin, are selected because of improper use of antimicrobial molecules in the breeding of livestock and the selective pressure operated by antibiotics present in the environment. In the plant-derived food, resistant bacteria are present as consequences of contaminated irrigation water and soil. In addition, food handlers could be carriers of these organisms and where poor hygiene procedures occur, they could transfer resistant bacteria on food. These organisms can reach humans through contact with animals and their environment or through contaminated food causing difficult-to-treat, potentially fatal, infections. The problem of antimicrobial resistance in the food chain is briefly described below and the main actions to be taken to stem the phenomenon are also reported.

Keywords: Antimicrobial Resistance; Food Chain; MRSA; Colistin-Resistance

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