Influence of product type and ripening time on the antibiotic resistance profile of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Spanish fermented pork products.

Antibiotic resistance (AR) poses a significant public health threat, particularly in the food chain where lactic acid bacteria (LAB) may act as reservoirs for resistance genes. This study aimed to evaluate the AR profiles of LAB isolated from Spanish fermented pork products, focusing on the effects of product type and ripening time on the AR patterns. A total of 150 samples of various fermented pork products were collected and analyzed for LAB isolates. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was conducted using the Kirby-Bauer method, revealing that most isolates exhibited resistance to multiple antibiotics, with enterococci showing higher resistance levels, particularly to cefotaxime, tetracycline, and erythromycin. Notably, factors such as product type and ripening duration influenced resistance profiles, with long-ripened products demonstrating higher resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin, while short-ripened products showed increased resistance to vancomycin and ciprofloxacin. The findings suggest that Spanish fermented pork products could serve as potential reservoirs of multidrug-resistant LAB, underscoring the importance of continued surveillance of AR dynamics in food products to better understand any potential implications for human health.