Sch 25298

Food safety risks in fish and fishery products pose a significant challenge to food security in Cambodia, where fish constitutes over 80 % of dietary protein.This study evaluates chem. and biol. hazards in Cambodian fish products by analyzing national residue monitoring data and comparing regulatory frameworks with EU standardsOut of 1174 samples tested, 104 (8.9 %) exceeded permissible limits for hazardous substances, including antimicrobial residues (chloramphenicol in 13.2 % of samples, furazolidone metabolites in 1.3 %), malachite green (8.5 %), and tetracyclines (1.0 %).Heavy metal contamination was also prevalent, with 43 % and 10 % of samples containing mercury and lead above safety thresholds, resp.Microbiol. assessments revealed widespread hygiene deficiencies, with elevated Total Plate Counts and frequent detection of coliforms and Escherichia coli.Current food safety measures, including Good Aquaculture Practices (GAqP) and Cambodia Quality Seal (CQS) standard based on Good Hygienic Practices (GHP), show limited effectiveness due to inconsistent enforcement and tech. capacity gaps.The findings highlight critical needs for: (1) enhanced monitoring programs targeting high-risk contaminants, (2) strengthened enforcement of food safety regulations, (3) improved tech. capacity for risk assessment and inspection, and (4) stakeholder education on safe handling practices.Addressing these challenges requires coordinated efforts among government agencies, industry stakeholders, and international partners.Implementing these recommendations would significantly improve the safety of fish products, contributing to public health protection and sustainable food security in Cambodia.

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) assay provides a deep understanding of the genetic mechanisms and processes involved in bacterial responses. This study aimed to obtain resistant-variants (RVs) of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Typhimurium (SeT) and Enteritidis (SeE) after ALE assays with meropenem (MPM); to identify genetic modifications of RVs responsible for their increased resistance; and to evaluate their cross-protection against antibiotics and food preservatives (heat and carvacrol). Five MPM-RVs from SeT (SeT_M_1-5) and one from SeE (SeE_M₅) showed a 100 % increase in MPM minimum inhibitory concentrations (from 0.0312 to 0.0625 μg/mL). MPM-RVs had lower maximum growth rates and/or longer lag times, except in SeT_M₅ and SeE_M₃, which maintained or even improved growth fitness in the presence of MPM. Whole genome sequencing of RVs revealed single mutations in AMR-related and -unrelated genes in most MPM-RVs: spoT in SeT_M₁, glnA in SeT_M₂, thrS in SeT_M₄ and SeE_M₂, and mrdA in SeT_M₅, SeE_M₃ and SeE_M₅. Two mutations were identified in SeT_M₃ and SeE_M₄: spoT and znuA in SeT_M₃ and AWJ12_RS14025 and rfbF in SeE_M₄. The individual mutations resulted in cross-protection to at least one of the antibiotics tested and/or heat (reductions of up to 3.8-4.3 cycles of inactivation for MPM-RVs in contrast to 4.7 and 5.3 cycles for SeE and SeT, respectively) and/or carvacrol (3.4-3.7 cycles for MPM-RVs in contrast to 4.4 cycles for SeT). These findings highlight the importance of preventing the emergence of resistant bacterial variants, considering the cross-protection to other antibiotics and food preservatives, which plays an important role in spreading resistance in food chain.