Assessment of the Microbiological Acceptability of White Cheese (Akkawi) in Lebanon and the Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Associated Escherichia coli.
| Title: | Assessment of the Microbiological Acceptability of White Cheese (Akkawi) in Lebanon and the Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Associated Escherichia coli. |
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| Authors: | Hussein ND; Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon.; Hassan JW; Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 30223, USA.; Osman M; Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.; Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.; El-Omari K; Quality Control Center Laboratories at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture of Tripoli & North Lebanon, Tripoli 1300, Lebanon.; Laboratoire Microbiologie Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli 1300, Lebanon.; Kharroubi SA; Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon.; Toufeili I; Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon.; Kassem II; Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 30223, USA. |
| Source: | Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) [Antibiotics (Basel)] 2023 Mar 19; Vol. 12 (3). Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Mar 19. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: MDPI AG Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101637404 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 2079-6382 (Print) Linking ISSN: 20796382 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Antibiotics (Basel) Subsets: PubMed not MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Basel, Switzerland : MDPI AG, 2012- |
| Abstract: | Dairy foods are a staple in Lebanon, a low- and middle-income country that has been experiencing serious challenges to food safety and antimicrobial stewardship among other issues. The microbiological acceptability of dairy products has been of increasing concern. This is partially due to the failing economy and prolonged power outages that affect the quality of raw material and disrupt the dairy cold chain, respectively. Therefore, we assessed the microbiological acceptability of Akkawi, a popular white-brined cheese in Lebanon. For this purpose, we quantified the densities of Escherichia coli (a fecal indicator) and Staphylococcus aureus in cheeses collected from Lebanese retail stores. Additionally, we evaluated the antibiotic resistance profiles of the E. coli isolated from the cheese. E. coli and S. aureus were detected in 40 (80%) and 16 (32%) of the 50 cheese samples, respectively. Notably, 40 (80%) and 16 (32%) of the samples exceeded the maximum permissible limit of E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. A high percentage of the 118 E. coli isolated from the cheeses showed resistance to clinically and agriculturally important antibiotics, while 89 (75%) isolates were classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR). Given that Akkawi can be consumed without cooking, our findings highlight serious food safety and antimicrobial resistance problems that require immediate interventions. |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Akkawi; Escherichia coli; Lebanon; Staphylococcus aureus; antimicrobial resistance; cheese; dairy; food safety; multidrug resistance |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20230329 Latest Revision: 20230331 |
| Update Code: | 20260130 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC10044863 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/antibiotics12030610 |
| PMID: | 36978477 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
Journal Article