Enterococci are ubiquitous lactic acid bacteria frequently detected in dairy environments, where they represent an important component of the non-starter lactic acid bacteria community, particularly in artisanal cheeses produced from raw milk. Due to their metabolic versatility, enterococci may contribute to cheese ripening and the development of characteristic sensory attributes; however, their technological relevance is accompanied by growing concern regarding their role as opportunistic pathogens and reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance. This review critically summarizes current knowledge on antimicrobial resistance in enterococci isolated from milk and dairy products, with emphasis on both intrinsic and acquired resistance traits and their reported prevalence across different dairy matrices and geographical regions. Particular attention is given to artisanal cheeses, in which heterogeneous and region-specific resistance patterns have been described. Advances in whole-genome sequencing have substantially improved understanding of the genetic basis of antimicrobial resistance in dairy enterococci and have largely corroborated earlier findings obtained through phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing combined with targeted resistance gene detection. Nevertheless, available data remain fragmented due to variability in study design, analytical approaches, and reporting practices. Overall, the evidence highlights the need for harmonized surveillance strategies integrating phenotypic and genomic data within a One Health framework to improve risk assessment and to better understand the role of dairy enterococci in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance along the food chain.

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of the use of CLA (2%), from days 1, 11 or 22 of fattening, on selected production results (broiler weight after each fattening phase including at the end of fattening, viability, average daily gain and feed conversion) on the efficiency of fattening during the whole fattening period (42 days). The obtained production results were used to calculate the European production efficiency factor (EPEF) and the European broiler index (EBI) values for each fattening phase as well as for the whole fattening. The results obtained indicate that, in the later stages of fattening, the use of CLA during the whole fattening period is economically more justified than the non-CLA diets used for control broilers. With the use of CLA throughout the whole fattening, the EPEF and EBI values are consistent with these values calculated for the Cobb 500 standard. In addition to economic justification, the use of CLA also has human nutritional significance, since the broiler meat is enriched with CLA and has a more favourable n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio.

Consumption of Toxoplasma gondii contaminated pork is a major risk factor for human infection. We thus conducted a cross-sectional survey on the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in a representative sample of slaughter pigs from throughout Serbia and examined the influence of farm biosecurity-related risk factors on infection. In addition, direct detection of the parasite (by mouse bioassay) or its DNA was performed in the hearts of a subset of seropositive sows. The overall seroprevalence in the sample of 825 pigs as determined by the modified agglutination test (MAT) was 16.5%. Older age and inadequate rodent control were independent infection risk factors for pigs. In a subset of 581 pigs with complete biosecurity-related data, in addition to older age, smallholders’ finishing type farms (as opposed to farrow-to-finish), multispecies farming, and origin from Western and Central and South-Eastern Serbia (vs. the Northern region), all increased the risk of infection, while the absence of disinfection boot-dips in front of each barn and Belgrade district origin (vs. the Northern region) were associated with a 62% and 75% lower risk of infection, respectively. Evidence of viable parasites was obtained in 13 (41.9%) of the 31 bioassayed sow hearts, of which by isolation of brain cysts in seven, by detection of T. gondii DNA in an additional four, and by serology in another two. Recovery of brain cysts mostly (5/7) from sows with a MAT titre of ≥1:100 indicates the risk for consumers. These results highlight the public health risk from pork consumption and point to mandatory use of professional rodent control services, abstaining from multispecies farming, keeping disinfection boot-dips clean and freshly refilled, as well as strict implementation of zoo-hygienic measures on smallholders’ farms as specific farm biosecurity measures needed for its reduction.

In the former Yugoslavia, the production of tea sausage started just over half a century ago. This type of sausage is mostly industrially produced, which means the quality of this product is not standardised, but it is acceptable to the majority of the population. In this study, the sensory proprieties and chemical characteristics of tea sausage were examined. Two types of tea sausage were made, which differed depending on the percentage of different categories of pork meat, while the amount of beef meat, solid fat tissue and other ingredients were the same. The results obtained show the average scores for all tested sensory properties almost equal. Chemical results show that tea sausage-group 1 had higher protein content (27.96%) than tea sausage-group 2, which had 25.25 % protein in meat, while the content of collagen in meat protein was similar in the two sausage groups. Moisture in these sausages was less than 35%, while the values of other parameters were similar. This study demonstrated that different quantity and quality of pork meat could influence the sensory properties and chemical composition of tea sausage.