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Introduction: informal food marketing is predominantly practiced in developing countries as it solves major social and economic challenges through the provision of employment and easily accessible food products at relatively inexpensive prices. However, such products often escape effective health and safety regulations which relatively characterize formal marketing, thus posing threats to public health. Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional microbial assessment of randomly collected raw meats (n=224) sold at selected informal (n=112) and formal (n=112) meat markets in Ibadan, south-western Nigeria for Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. using standard protocols. Isolates were evaluated for antibiogram patterns by Kirby-Bauer Assay and data analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: overall, 75.5%, 65.2%, 61.6%, and 46.9% of the 224 samples were positive for S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp, and E. coli, respectively. Significantly higher prevalences were obtained from the informal markets for S. aureus (OR=9.43; 95%CI: 0.05-0.24), L. monocytogenes (OR=9.35; 95%CI: 0.06-0.21), Salmonella spp (OR=10.00; 95%CI: 0.05-0.19) and E. coli (OR=12.99; 95%CI: 0.04-0.15) than the formal markets. The pathogens exhibited total resistance against half of the 14 antibiotics studied, with the least resistance to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin. Conclusion: the significantly higher microbial contamination in meats from informal markets and associated high antibiotic resistance level portends serious public health implications of informal meat marketing. Since informal food marketing also characterizes other developing sub-Saharan African countries, synergy among local and international stakeholders to step up health and safety policies towards regulating activities at informal food markets is urgently required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order for food that is on the market to be safe, it must comply with the criteria of hygiene in the production process, and food safety criteria stipulated in the "Regulations on the general and specific requirements of food hygiene at any stage of production, processing and trade". In the meat industry, there are many possibilities for contamination of carcasses and meat by pathogenic microorganisms. Contamination of meat can occur through the tools and equipment used for the processing and production of meat, refrigerated display cases and chambers for storing meat and transportation trolley. Workers during slaughtering, primary treatment and processing of meat can be a source of contamination via hands, clothing and footwear, as well. In order to prevent contamination, it is very important to regularly apply the procedures for cleaning, washing and disinfection of work surfaces, as well as the workers 'hands. The aim of this study was to investigate the microbial contamination of surfaces that come in contact with meat in meat processing plants. The study included 306 swab samples, of which 102 swabs were taken from work surfaces (desks, cutting boards), 90 swabs were taken from the tools, usually knives (68 swabs), and also from machines used in production (79 swabs). Swab samples from surfaces that come in contact with food were taken after cleaning, washing and disinfection. In most of the swab samples that were incompliant with recommended microbiological criteria an increased number of enterobacteria and the total bacteria count (70.21%) was established. A considerably less samples did not comply with the recommended microbiological criteria due to the increased number of enterobacteria (14.89%). Also, 12.77% of samples were incompliant due to the increased total bacteria count, and only 2.13 % of the samples did not comply with the recommended microbiological criteria due to the increased number of enterobacteria, total bacteria count and the presence of L. Monocytogenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]