ASSESSMENT OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN FRESH VEGETABLES FROM FARM TO FORK

The goals of this proposed project are to assess the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in retail vegetables, and to determine critical factors contributing to antibiotic resistance transmission in vegetable production and supply chains.The detailed project objectives are as follows.Objective 1: Assess the prevalence of ESBL-producing Enterobacterales and carbapenem-resistant bacteria, and determine the antibiotic resistomes in retail vegetables in the U.S. markets. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in vegetables close to consumption are more likely to result in consumers' direct exposure to those bacteria. Through this part of the project, we will obtain knowledge regarding the scale of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially the ones with significant clinical and public health complications in retail vegetables in the U.S., and consequently highlights the necessity and urgency of antibiotic resistance mitigation in vegetables.Objective 2: Identify critical factors contributing to antibiotic resistance transmission during vegetable production. Farming practices may have a great impact on the incidence of antibiotic resistance in vegetable products. We will investigate the impact of various factors that may contribute to antibiotic resistance in fresh produce products.Objective 3: Determine current perceptions related to antibiotic resistance in produce and enhance knowledge related to dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria in agricultural systems. Our extension and outreach program will engage with industry partners as well as consumers to increase their knowledge related to antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance in fresh produce. Through providing information on consumer concerns related to antibiotic resistance in produce and best practices to mitigate this risk in produce, growers can engage in practices that can reduce the overall occurrence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in produce.