The aim of this work was to study the microbiological safety and quality of marketed fresh turkey meat, with special emphasis on methicillin-resistant S. aureus, ESBL-producing E. coli, and K. pneumoniae. A total of 51 fresh turkey meat samples were collected at retail level in Spain. Mesophile, Pseudomonas spp., enterococci, Enterobacteriaceae, and staphylococci counts were 5.10 ± 1.36, 3.17 ± 0.87, 2.03 ± 0.58, 3.18 ± 1.00, and 2.52 ± 0.96 log CFU/g, respectively. Neither Campylobacter spp. nor Clostridium perfringens was detected in any sample. ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae and E. coli were detected in 22 (43.14%), and three (5.88%) samples, respectively, all of which were multi-resistant. Resistance to antimicrobials of category A (monobactams, and glycilcyclines) and category B (cephalosporins of third or fourth generation, polymixins, and quinolones), according to the European Medicine Agency classification, was found among the Enterobacteriaceae isolates. S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus were detected in nine (17.65%) and four samples (7.84%), respectively. Resistance to antimicrobials of category A (mupirocin, linezolid, rifampicin, and vancomycin) and category B (cephalosporins of third- or fourth generation) was found among S. aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, and M. caseolyticus isolates.
Keywords: E. coli; ESBL; K. pneumoniae; MRSA; antibiotic residues; enterococci; food safety; meat; multi-resistance; poultry; staphylococci.