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<p>Objective 1: Evaluation of methods for the extraction, detection and confirmation of ESBLs from food</p>
<p>A collection of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, including a number of E. coli strains, will be:</p>
<ul>
<li>evaluated on extraction from food matrices using molecular and phenotypic methods</li>
<li>molecular methods will be evaluated on their ability to detect ESBL genes from food extracts</li>
<li>agars and CFP disks will be evaluated for ESBL screening</li>
<li>assessment of the proportion of ESBL bacteria in food</li>
<li>evaluation of ESBL confirmation tests</li>
</ul>
<p>Objective 2: Comparison of procedures for bacterial speciation and genetic screening approaches</p>
<ul>
<li>Different procedures of evaluating bacterial speciation will be assessed</li>
<li>A comparison of genetic screening approaches will be carried out by building on the data from the SafeFoodEra project.</li>
</ul>
<p>Objective 3: Selection, evaluation and trial of a method of screening food for ESBLs</p>
<ul>
<li>Protocol options for the screening method for ESBL detection in food will be discussed and the best method(s) selected. A seminar will be held to disseminate information to industry and other interested parties on findings of the method development stage and to gain feedback from industry.</li>
<li>A protocol (draft SOP) for the screening for ESBLs will be produced and tested on a range of food products (including chicken, pork and beef) in a range of different formats (including ready-to-eat meals) and performance of the method(s) will be assessed in a formal in-house validation exercise using a protocol based on BS EN ISO 16140:2003. The method(s) will then be demonstrated in a field survey, comparing levels of ESBLs found in caecal contents and carcasses to samples prepared in the laboratory.</li>
<li>A small ring trial of the SOP for screening foods for ESBLs will be conducted in two laboratories (Premier Analytical Services and HPA Microbiology Services Food Water and Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Preston). Once these laboratories have reported satisfactory results, a full inter-laboratory test exercise will commence. This exercise will require the laboratories to test a number of matrices, spiked with varying levels of ESBL-containing organisms.</li>
</ul>
<p>Background: Infections caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria, which are primarily thought to cause healthcare-acquired infections, such as MRSA and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli are now becoming more common in the general community and they have been detected in food-producing animals and foods in several countries.</p>
<p>This has led to questions concerning the significance of the food chain in the transmission of these organisms and the potential for their amplification by cycling through animal reservoirs.</p>
<p>To obtain a better understanding of the role of retail foods in the transmission of antimicrobial resistance, improved methods for detecting these organisms in foods are needed, as well as an improved understanding of the organisms’ survival and transmission dynamics, and monitoring the presence of these organisms in food. </p>