Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are the most significant disinfectants utilised to control the contamination of Staphylococcus aureus in food establishments. S. aureus is a significant pathogen that carries genes responsible for resistance to QACs, which pose a risk to public health and food safety. The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence of QAC genes (qacA/B, qacC, qacG, qacH, qacJ, and smr) and benzalkonium minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values in S. aureus strains isolated from food products and food production facilities (n = 200). The analysis results indicated that the qacC gene was the most frequently detected, with a prevalence of 12%. The qacA/B, qacG, qacH, qacJ, and smr genes were identified at frequencies of 2%, 3%, 1%, 4.5%, and 5%, respectively. The highest MIC level was identified in the surface sample, which carried the qacG gene, at a concentration of 6.25 μg mL⁻¹. The study's results highlight the potential risks associated with disinfectant resistance in food establishments. To prevent the transfer of disinfectant resistance genes, which have become a global risk, it is imperative that the rules of disinfectant usage are observed rigorously and that scientific research in this field is diversified.

This study investigated the toxigenic genes and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from 260 raw milk samples collected from dairy farms in Türkiye. The results indicated that 60.7% of staphylococcal enterotoxin genes (sea, seb, sed, seg, sei, sej, sek, seq, sem, seo, and seu) and 21.4% of the tst and eta genes were positive, with most enterotoxin-positive samples carrying more than one gene. The sec, see, seh, sel, sen, sep, and etb genes were not identified in any samples. The prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (mecA, blaR, blaI, blaZ, vanA, ermT, tetK, aac/aph, ant, dfrA, tcaR, IS256, and IS257) was high at 89.2%, with bla being the most frequently detected gene (75%). The mecA gene was present in 14.2% of samples, while tcaR was detected in 78.5%. Nevertheless, the mecC was not identified. Disinfectant resistance genes (qacA/B, qacC, qacJ, smr) were detected in 21.4% of the samples. The results of the disk diffusion test showed that 64.2% of strains were resistant to penicillin G and ampicillin, with additional resistance found for cefoxitin, teicoplanin, levofloxacin, norfloxacin, and other antibiotics. These findings highlight a significant public health and food safety risk associated with raw milk due to the presence of S. aureus strains with toxigenic genes and high antimicrobial resistance.

Gıdalar üretim transport ve satış aşamalarında en doğru prosedürler uygulanarak üretilse bile, satın alınan gıdalar, tüketicinin evine girdikten birçok farklı değişkene bağlı olarak insan sağlığı açısından çok önenmli risk faktörleri haline dönüşebililir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Marmara bölgesi kapsamında, Edirne, Tekirdağ, Kırlareli, İstanbul, Kocaeli, Adapazarı, Yalova, Bursa, Bilecik, Balıkesir, Çanakkale illeri için, hayvansal kökenli gıda ürünleri (süt ve ürünleri, et ve ürünleri, su ürünleri, kanatlı et ve ürünleri olmak üzere) hanehalkı tüketim profillerini belirlemek ve bu ürünlerinin mikrobiyolojik açıdan durumunu değerlendirmektir. Veriler normal dağılımlı olmadığı için parametrik olmayan yöntemlerden Kruskal-Wallis testi uygulanmıştır. Analiz sonucunda, mikrobiyolojik parametreler açısından, et ve et ürünleri ile süt ve süt ürünleri için anlamlı farklılık belirlenmiştir (p0.05). Farkın kaynağına bakıldığında, hem et ve et ürünleri için hem de süt ve süt ürünleri için E. Coli ve Koliform Grubu anlamlı şekilde yüksek olarak elde edilmiştir.

This study was conducted to investigate incidence of Toxoplasma gondii, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in 100 samples of salad and appetizers (50 salad and 50 appetizer samples) collected from retailers located various districts of Istanbul. Conventional microbiological methods and PCR procedures were used for Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus while only PCR procedures were used for the analysis of Toxoplasma gondii. Also PCR specifity and sensitivity for all the positive samples were calculated. According to the results, Listeria monocytogenes was detected in 9 samples (9%) and Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 36 (36%) samples while all the samples were negative for Toxoplasma gondii. PCR sensitivity results were quite specific and accurate for both Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. It was concluded that salad and appetizers may be seriously threat consumers‘ health microbiologically if they are processed under poor hygienic conditions.

Toxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus strains posing a potential risk for public health have long been a topic of scientific research. Effects of Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL) on tissue destruction mechanisms and activities of inflammatory cells were presented in animal models of pneumonia and skin infections induced by PVL-producing S. aureus strains. This study aimed to demonstrate the in vivo pathogenicity of PVL-producing S. aureus strains isolated from some foodstuffs, which can be a potential risk to public health. PVL-positive methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strains M1 and YF1B-b isolated from different foodstuffs and a PVL-positive MSSA strain HT480 (positive control) were administered to New Zealand rabbits. Blood samples were harvested three and six hours after the intratracheal inoculation. Lung tissue samples were collected for gross and microscopic exams and immunohistochemical (IHC) demonstration of IL-6, IL8, IL-10, and TNF-α expressions. Serum cytokine levels were also measured by ELISA. The strains isolated from lung tissue samples were confirmed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The development of acute necrotising pneumonia and a significant elevation in IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α expressions demonstrated the significance of foodborne PVL-positive MSSA strains in public health for the first time.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in alternative protein sources. This study aimed to determine the textural and sensory properties of vegan burger patties produced with plant-based (soy and pea) protein sources instead of meat protein. For this purpose, 14 different vegan burger patties produced with soy and pea-based protein alternatives were obtained from different brands in the İstanbul market. Burger patties were analysed in terms of moisture content, cooking properties, instrumental colour, texture profile, and sensory properties. According to the results, pea-based burger patties have a higher moisture content and cooking loss and a lower cooking yield than soy-based patties. The L* and a* values of the pea-based patties tended to be higher than those of the soy-based patties, while the b* values were generally higher. In addition, the texture profile analysis of soy and pea-based burger patties shows differences in texture attributes that may affect consumer preference and overall eating experience. In the sensory evaluation, a significant difference between soy and pea-based burger patties was observed only for juiciness and spicy taste characteristics. The research findings shed light on alternative proteins' textural and sensorial properties and their role in the food industry, particularly in developing vegan burger patties. These differences in sensory attributes and colour and texture analysis between soy and pea-based burger patties highlight the importance of ingredient selection and formulation in developing plant-based protein products.