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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global emerging problem for food safety and public health. Retail meat is one of the vehicles that may transmit antimicrobial resistant bacteria to humans. Here we assessed the phenotypic and genotypic resistance of non-typhoidal Salmonella from retail meat collected in California in 2019 by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Retail Food Surveillance program. A total of 849 fresh meat samples were collected from randomly selected grocery stores in Northern and Southern California from January to December 2019. The overall prevalence of Salmonella was 15.31 %, with a significantly higher occurrence in Southern (28.38%) than in Northern (5.22 %) California. The prevalence of Salmonella in chicken (24.01 %) was higher (p < 0.001) compared to ground turkey (5.42 %) and pork (3.08 %) samples. No Salmonella were recovered from ground beef samples. The prevalence of Salmonella in meat with reduced antibiotic claim (20.35 %) was higher (p < 0.001) than that with conventional production (11.96 %). Salmonella isolates were classified into 25 serotypes with S. Kentucky (47.73 %), S. typhimurium (11.36 %), and S. Alachua (7.58 %) as predominant serotypes. Thirty-two out of 132 (24.24 %) Salmonella isolates were susceptible to all tested antimicrobial drugs, while 75.76 % were resistant to one or more drugs, 62.88 % to two or more drugs, and 9.85 % to three or more drugs. Antimicrobials that Salmonella exhibited high resistance to were tetracycline (82/132, 62.12 %) and streptomycin (79/132, 59.85 %). No significant difference was observed between reduced antibiotic claim and conventional production in the occurrence of single and multidrug resistance. A total of 23 resistant genes, a D87Y mutation of gyrA, and 23 plasmid replicons were identified from resistant Salmonella isolates. Genotypic and phenotypic results were well correlated with an overall sensitivity of 96.85 %. S. infantis was the most resistant serotype which also harbored the IncFIB (pN55391) plasmid replicon and gyrA (87) mutation. Data from Northern and Southern California in this study helps us to understand the AMR trends in Salmonella from retail meat sold in the highly populous and demographically diverse state of California., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Shrimp is one of the most consumed seafood products globally. Antimicrobial drugs play an integral role in disease mitigation in aquaculture settings, but their prevalent use raises public health concerns on the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistant microorganisms. Vibrio spp., as the most common causative agents of seafood-borne infections in humans, and Enterococcus spp., as an indicator organism, are focal bacteria of interest for the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in seafood. In this study, 400 samples of retail shrimp were collected from randomly selected grocery stores in the Greater Sacramento, California, area between September 2019 and June 2020. The prevalence of Vibrio spp. and Enterococcus spp. was 60.25% (241/400) and 89.75% (359/400), respectively. Subsamples of Vibrio ( n  = 110) and Enterococcus ( n  = 110) isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Vibrio isolates had high phenotypic resistance to ampicillin (52/110, 47.27%) and cefoxitin (39/110, 35.45%). Enterococcus were most frequently resistant to lincomycin (106/110, 96.36%), quinupristin-dalfopristin (96/110, 87.27%), ciprofloxacin (93/110, 84.55%), linezolid (86/110, 78.18%), and erythromycin (58/110, 52.73%). For both Vibrio and Enterococcus , no significant associations were observed between multidrug resistance (MDR, resistance to ≥3 drug classes) in isolates from farm raised and wild caught shrimp ( p  > 0.05) and in isolates of domestic and imported origin ( p  > 0.05). Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of a subset of Vibrio isolates ( n  = 42) speciated isolates as primarily V. metschnikovii (24/42; 57.14%) and V. parahaemolyticus (12/42; 28.57%), and detected 27 unique antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) across these isolates, most commonly qnrVC6 (19.05%, 8/42), dfrA31 (11.90%, 5/42), dfrA6 (9.5%, 4/42), qnrVC1 (9.5%, 4/42). Additionally, WGS predicted phenotypic resistance in Vibrio isolates with an overall sensitivity of 11.54% and specificity of 96.05%. This study provides insights on the prevalence and distribution of AMR in Vibrio spp. and Enterococcus spp. from retail shrimp in California which are important for food safety and public health and exemplifies the value of surveillance in monitoring the spread of AMR and its genetic determinants., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Hirshfeld, Lavelle, Lee, Atwill, Kiang, Bolkenov, Gaa, Li, Yu, Li and Yang.)

Consumer interest in grass-fed beef has been steadily rising due to consumer perception of its potential benefits. This interest has led to a growing demand for niche market beef, particularly in the western United States. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the impact of feeding systems on the change in microbial counts, color, and lipid oxidation of steaks during retail display, and on their sensory attributes. The systems included: conventional grain-fed (CON), 20 months-grass-fed (20GF), 25-months-grass-fed (25GF) and 20-months-grass-fed + 45-day-grain-fed (45GR). The results indicate that steaks in the 20GF group displayed a darker lean and fat color, and a lower oxidation state than those in the 25GF group. However, the feeding system did not have an impact on pH or objective tenderness of beef steaks. In addition, consumers and trained panelist did not detect a difference in taste or flavor between the 20GF or 25GF steaks but expressed a preference for the CON and 45GR steaks, indicating that an increased grazing period may improve the color and oxidative stability of beef, while a short supplementation with grain may improve eating quality.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of red macroalgae Asparagopsis taxiformis supplementation for cattle on the shelf life of fresh beef steaks ( longissimus dorsi ). Three treatment groups (seven steers per treatment) included: 1) Control diet, 2) Control diet + 0.25% of macroalgae inclusion (low dose, LD), and 3) Control + 0.5% of macroalgae inclusion (high dose, HD). After the animals were harvested, the strip loins from all animals were collected and aged for 14 days at the meat lab of the University of California, Davis. Then the strip loins were cut into steaks, packaged, and placed on a retail display case for 6 days. During a retail display, instrumental color (L*, a*, and b*) of lean muscle and external fat surfaces were measured every 12 h. Bacterial counts for total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB), aerobic psychrotrophic bacteria (APB), and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were assessed on days 0, 3, and 6 of retail display. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) analysis was conducted to measure the lipid oxidation and the pH was also assessed on days 0, 3, and 6. No interactive effect between treatments and time on the shelf life of steaks was observed. The HD red macroalgae supplement decreased ( P < 0.05) the lightness (L*) of the surface muscle of the steaks, while the lightness of the external fat was not affected ( P < 0.05) by treatments throughout the retail display. The external fat yellowness of the steaks was lower ( P < 0.05) in LD and HD treatment groups compared with the control group. An increase ( P < 0.05) in counts of AMB, APB, and LAB was observed on the steaks from the steers in the HD treatment group while steaks in Control and LD group had similar bacterial numbers throughout the retail display. The results indicated that the shelf life of steaks from cattle in LD group remained the same as that of the Control group, but the HD of A. taxiformis caused a darker color of steaks with higher microbial counts, which may lead to a shortened shelf life due to undesirable appearance and faster microbial spoilage., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Vibrionaceae family in retail seafood products available in the Qidong market during the summer of 2023 and to characterize Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates, given that this bacterium is the leading cause of seafood-associated food poisoning. We successfully isolated a total of 240 Vibrionaceae strains from a pool of 718 seafood samples. The breakdown of the isolates included 146 Photobacterium damselae, 59 V. parahaemolyticus, 18 V. campbellii, and 11 V. alginolyticus. Among these, P. damselae and V. parahaemolyticus were the predominant species, with respective prevalence rates of 20.3% and 8.2%. Interestingly, all 59 isolates of V. parahaemolyticus were identified as non-pathogenic. They demonstrated proficiency in swimming and swarming motility and were capable of forming biofilms across a range of temperatures. In terms of antibiotic resistance, the V. parahaemolyticus isolates showed high resistance to ampicillin, intermediate resistance to cefuroxime and cefazolin, and were sensitive to the other antibiotics evaluated. The findings of this study may offer valuable insights and theoretical support for enhancing seafood safety measures in Qidong City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat colour is one of the primary factors affecting the acceptability of retail meat cuts. Therefore, displaying the natural bright-red colour of meat is a major goal of the meat industry. Consumers frequently reject to retail meat cuts with discolouration even at low levels of surface browning and/or darkening, which in turn results in significant food waste and economic loss. Thus, understanding the factors that influence meat colour deviations such as discolouration or darkening is crucial in developing effective strategies to minimise the display colour-related quality issues. Numerous factors influence series of biochemical reactions of post-mortem muscles and the chemical state of myoglobin, which ultimately affects meat colour and colour stability. Recent studies have demonstrated the incidence of dark-cutting beef post-mortem can be attributed to the combination of lower glycolytic potential, less glycolytic metabolites, enzymes and dysregulated energy metabolism. This review will focus on the role of post-mortem bioenergetics and mitochondria dynamics that affect beef colour chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the promotion of animal welfare awareness, modern meat production should be applied ethically and sustainably. Alternative circular feeds such as algae, insects, agro-industrial by-products (AIBPs) and former food products (FFPs) play a key role to re-define the current meat production system. This review highlights the effects of feed ingredients mentioned above on red meat quality, from a blue-bio/circular economy point of view. The results show that when algae are added in adequate amounts, they can improve nutritional and sensory quality of meat. Insects, and AIBPs, can affect meat quality mainly in terms of selected components like fat content and quality, while the effects of FFPs as feed ingredients on meat quality are still limited. These alternative feedingstuffs are regarded as interesting protein/energy sources for animal diets and are expected to be increasingly used globally as a replacement for conventional feedstuffs. The inclusion level of insects, AIBPs and FFPs is often higher than that of algae, because algae are considered more as feed supplements instead of ingredients that mainly provide macronutrients to the animals. However, more research is needed for a comprehensive evaluation of these materials, especially in terms of: (i) feed formulation and processing methods (inclusion level of such materials and technology used for feed production); (ii) their potential impacts on animal growth and health status and on environmental footprint; (iii) carcass quality; and (iv) final meat product quality, safety and wholesomeness. Algae, insects, agro-industrial by-products (AIBPs) and former food products (FFPs) can affect meat quality. The inclusion level of insects and FFPs is often higher than algae, while that of AIBPs could be variable. These materials can affect meat quality mainly in terms of selected components like fat content and quality. These feed materials have been linked to improved sustainability, feed/food circularity and consumer perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In Uruguay and some other countries in the region, where pasture grazing has always been predominant in beef production, steers are now increasingly fed grains to shorten the production time. This has implications for meat quality, so meat from both systems (pasture and concentrate) was compared under refrigerated retail conditions in this study. Meat from pasture-fed steers exhibited lower levels of lipid and protein oxidation during the display period, likely due to the higher levels of antioxidants, such as β-carotene and α-tocopherol, found in this investigation. In addition, meat from pasture-raised steers was healthier for consumers in terms of its fatty acid composition and lower intramuscular fat content. In conclusion, meat from pasture-fed steers was more stable during retail refrigeration, possibly allowing for a longer shelf-life, and was healthier for consumers compared to meat from concentrate-fed steers. Beef production in Uruguay is based on pasture (~85%) or concentrate (~15%), resulting in differences in meat quality. The objective of this study was to compare the oxidative stability and color of beef from these two systems during refrigerated retail display. For these purposes, the Semimembranosus muscle was removed from ten Aberdeen Angus steers raised and fed on pasture (130 days prior to slaughter) and from another ten steers fed concentrate (100 days prior to slaughter), sliced. The muscles were placed in a refrigerated showcase for 3, 6, and 9 days. The contents of β-carotene, α-tocopherol, and fatty acids were determined before the meat was placed on display. Lipid and protein oxidation, color, and heme iron content were determined before and during display. The meat from pasture-fed steers had a lower intramuscular fat content (1.78 ± 0.15 vs. 4.52 ± 0.46), lower levels of monounsaturated fatty acids, a lower n-6/n-3 ratio, less lipid and protein oxidation, lower L* and a* values, and higher levels of α-linolenic acid, DHA, total n-3, β-carotene, and α-tocopherol. In conclusion, the meat from pasture-fed steers was more stable during retail display from an oxidative point of view, which may be due to its higher levels of antioxidant compounds such as β-carotene and α-tocopherol and had a healthier fatty acid profile for consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Despite studies conducted with other seaweed species on in vitro gas production, until now, no studies have been reported on the use of pelagic Sargassum as potential ruminant feed. Thus, the objective of the present study was to determine the effect of Sargassum inclusion, using tropical grass as substrate, on in vitro gas production kinetics. Additionally, heavy metals and macro- and microminerals were determined in Sargassum. For that, in vitro incubations were performed with different levels of Sargassum inclusion on a basal substrate (Stargrass hay). In vitro results showed that up to 30% pelagic Sargassum could be included in hay-based substrates from tropical grasses. This study determined the effect of pelagic Sargassum on in vitro dry matter and organic matter degradation, total gas production (TGP), and protozoa population. The treatments were different levels of Sargassum inclusion on a basal substrate (Stargrass hay; Cynodon nlemfuensis) as follows: T0 (control treatment based on Stargrass hay), T10 (90% Stargrass hay + 10% Sargassum), T20 (80% Stargrass hay + 20% Sargassum), and T30 (70% Stargrass hay + 30% Sargassum). Ruminal fermentation kinetics and protozoa population were determined during 72 h of in vitro incubations. Compared to control, dry matter degradability at 48 and 72 h and organic matter degradability at 24 and 48 h were higher in Sargassum treatments. TGP was lower with T20 at 48 h. The total population of protozoa and the concentration of Entodinium spp. were lower at T20 at 48 h and T30 at 72 h. Cl, S, Ca, K, and Zn (103, 5.97, 88.73, 285.70 g/kg, and 15,900 mg/kg) were high in Sargassum, reaching twice or even nine times higher than the contents in Stargrass (11.37, 1.60, 43.53, 87.73 g/kg, and 866.67 mg/kg). Overall, up to 30% pelagic Sargassum could be included in hay-based substrates from tropical grasses without negative effects on in vitro dry matter and organic matter degradability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]