Prevalence of Escherichia coli generic and pathogenic in pork meat: systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: World journal of microbiology & biotechnology Vol. 39; no. 9; p. 247
• Main Authors: Blanco-Lizarazo, Carla María, Sierra-Cadavid, Andrea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-09-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Applied Microbiology; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; E coli; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Escherichia coli; Food Microbiology; Life Sciences; Meat; Meat industry; Meat processing industry; Meta-analysis; Microbiology; Pork; Pork Meat; Prevalence; Red Meat; Review; Subgroups; Supply chains; Swine; Systematic review; Supply chain; Retail; PRISMA; Meat safety; Pork carcasses; Risk baseline
• ISSN: 0959-3993; 1573-0972
• DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03687-0

This research aimed to analyze scientific information regarding the prevalence of generic and pathogenic
E. coli
 in the production and supply chain of pork meat, considering different types of samples, places of sampling, and pathotypes using a systematic review and meta-analysis tools. The meta-analysis for the prevalence of generic and pathogenic
E. coli
was conducted by estimating the effects within subgroups. Data subsets were analyzed using the DerSimonian-Laird method for binary random effects. The average prevalence of generic 
E. coli
 in different types of pork meat samples was determined to be 35.6% (95% CI 19.3–51.8), with no significant differences observed between pork meat and carcasses. Conversely, the average prevalence of 
E. coli
 pathotypes in samples related to the supply chain of pork meat was found to be 4.7% (95% CI 3.7–5.7). In conclusion, these findings suggest the possibility of establishing an objective threshold for
E. coli
prevalence as a benchmark for comparison within the meat industry. By utilizing this data, it becomes possible to propose a standardized limit that can serve as a reference point for evaluating and improving processes in the industry.