Prevalence and level of Salmonella spp. Contamination on selected pathways of preparation and cooking of fried chicken at the household level

Abstract

Homemade foods have been reported as an important contributor to some foodborne outbreaks. This study determined the prevalence and number of Salmonella spp. on selected pathways of fried chicken preparation and cooking at the household level and investigated their antimicrobial resistance. Salmonella serovar was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and partial sequencing using primer 785F and 907R. Samples consisted of chicken meat (raw, pre-cooked and fried), seasoning, water, mortar, and the hands of the food handler. The results showed that Salmonella spp. was found in 22.1% of 104 samples. The level of Salmonella found was in the range of 0.3 MPN/g (in fried chicken and water) to 920 MPN/g (in marinated raw chicken). Six Salmonella serovars were identified, namely S. Typhimurium, S. Bergen, S. Enteritidis strain FORC_052, S. Enteritidis strain GD1011, S. Typhi strain 541, and S. Typhi strain 3N4. Three were resistant to nalidixic acid, while one was resistant to streptomycin.

Keywords:
antimicrobial resistance; fried chicken; household; Salmonella