Microbiological analysis and antimicrobial resistance of fresh cheese sold at the market, city of Riobamba

Abstract

The objective was to determine the quality and safety of fresh cheese sold in a market in the city of Riobamba in order to establish whether it is suitable for human consumption, the level of bacterial resistance and the repercussions on consumer health, following national and international procedures and regulations. The presence of Staphylococcus aureus, total coliforms and Escherichia coli was analyzed with counts in 3M Petrifilm Plates, The procedure was handled with three consecutive dilutions, which were inoculated, incubated, quantified, and confirmatory tests were performed in Petri Plates and antibiogram using the Kirby Bawer method. The results were: 1.3x106 CFU/g of Staphylococcus aureus, 7x105 CFU/g of Escherichia coli and 8.5x105 CFU/g of total coliforms. Statistical comparisons were then performed using the Student's t-test. It was found that the levels exceed the maximum values allowed for human consumption, which indicates a deficient agri-food chain, where there is a high level of contamination of the environment in which fresh cheeses are processed, transported and sold. In this regard, a call is made to municipal and governmental health entities to include control and regulation policies.