Microbial Landscape of Ready-to-Eat Street Vended Food: Evaluation of Quality, Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern

Dushyant Singh*, Amita Gaurav Dimri, Sumant Kumar Nayak, Binu Bhat and Mukul Das

There are several benefits provided by Ready-to-Eat (RTE) street vended foods, but data exists that pathogenic microorganisms may contaminate foods displayed for sale on the side of the road. However, there is a lack of data on the microbial characterization and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) trends of isolated pathogens from street food in Delhi. Considering Panipuri and noodles are the favorite RTE foods in India, the study aims to examine the occurrence including anti-microbial resistance patterns of common foodborne disease-causing microbes isolated from selected RTE foods. Sixty (60) RTE street-vended food samples from prevalent locations in Delhi, were analyzed by demonstrating mesophilic aerobic bacterial count, yeast and mold count, specified food-borne pathogens, and their AMR trend against clinically significant antibiotics. The mesophilic aerobic bacterial count varied from 1.0 x 102- 2.0 x 106 cfu/g whereas, yeast and mold 40 - 8.5 x 105 cfu/g. Among examined RTE samples, dominant organisms were 31 (51.7%) E. coli, 24 (40%) S. aureus followed by 7 (11.7%) P. aeruginosa, 7 (11.7%) V. cholerae and 5 (8.3%) Salmonella spp. All bacterial isolates showed substantial levels of antibiotic resistance in the antimicrobial susceptibility assays, notably against ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, gentamicin, and streptomycin (28.6 - 100%). The result showcased that the majority of RTE food samples were highly contaminated with one or more different pathogens possessing high resistance to existing antibiotics. Thus, a serious vigilance recommendation from the regulatory food authorities needs to come forward with monitoring the microbial risk associated with roadside food hawkers, and awareness among the individuals for food safety and safeguarding in the region.

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Published on: Jan 31, 2025 Pages: 1-13

Full Text PDF Full Text HTML DOI: 10.17352/ojb.000028
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