DIVERSITY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS SPP. IN FOOD AND DAIRY PRODUCTS: A FOODSTUFF SAFETY ASSESSMENT

Abstract

The aim of the current work was to study the diversity of Staphylococcus spp. in different types of food products that are available to consumers, to assess its safety from a public health standpoint. A total of twenty food samples (raw milk, white cheese, raw minced meat, beef salami and salted fish) were purchased from the markets. Detection of Staphylococci was performed by selective plating on mannitol salt agar and Staphylococcus medium 110. Identification of presumptive isolates was achieved by phenotypical traits; API Staph System and 16S rRNA sequencing. Raw milk was found to have more diverse species of coagulase-negative staphylococci as well as MRSA. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species detected in cheese, beef salami and salted fish are the species that are usually involved in the ripening or fermentation process. In conclusion, we found low safety hazards associated with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species isolated from foodstuffs, the only exception is the ready-to-drink raw milk and raw minced meat which was found to be in low microbiological quality and its consumption must be avoided.