Vol. 11, Special Issue 8 (2022)

Author(s):
P Jenifer, R Vijay, Ashish Rawson, N Baskaran and S Vignesh

Abstract:
Antibiotic use and transmission including the subsequent risk of contamination resistant to antibiotics (ABR) in food ecosystems have recently come under criticism. Notably, the selective pressures exerted by residual antibiotics in the raw and processed food commodities make food waste habitats like hotel waste and food outlets waste are hotspots for the growth and transmission of antibiotic resistance genes. A major global concern is the rise of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) and multidrug antibiotic resistance (ABR) in bacterial populations of food waste. A total of 36 bacterial isolates were collected from food waste samples and tested for the ESBL producers and ABR resistant strains against certain standard antibiotics. The ABR profile of the bacterial isolates from seafood waste was observed against all four major antibiotics family/groups (Aminoglycosides, β-Lactams, Quinolone, and Others) as per CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) standard procedure. The seafood waste isolates were highly resistant to Methicillin (5 mcg), Penicillin-G (10 mcg) and Cefotaxime (30 mcg) and about 80% of strains were resistant to at least one antibiotic. By using a combination and double disc synergy test in accordance with the recommendations of the CLSI, ESBL-producing isolates were partially identified. The results suggested the significance of resistance monitoring and related interventions by highlighting the role of food waste as a natural reservoir of bacteria that produce ABR and ESBL.