Assessment of antibiotic resistance in staphylococci involved in fermented meat product processing

The production chain of fermented sausages can be considered a major source of the dissemination of antibiotic resistance (AR), spreading from farm to the final product. The natural microbiota involved in the complete process may carry AR genes which can be potentially transferred to pathogens or opportunistic bacteria thus representing a risk to human and animal health. Coagulase-negative staphylococci are a dominant microbial group in fermented sausages and often used as starter cultures. Few studies are available on their potential for AR gene transference. This mini-review focuses on the assessment of AR in staphylococci associated with sausage production chain combining traditional analyses with a metagenomic approach, in order to draw some guidelines to prevent AR spread.