Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica in ready-to-eat sushi and sashimi

Staphylococcus aureus food poisoning and Salmonellosis outbreaks have been associated with two popular ready-to-eat items: sushi and sashimi. Thus this study aims to determine the prevalence of S. aureus and S. enterica in sushi and sashimi in Malaysia. Sushi (149) and sashimi (51) were collected from 14 retail outlets comprising supermarkets, hypermarkets, restaurants and open-air night markets. Bacterial isolation was carried out using Baird-Parker and CHROMagar Salmonella Plus selective media. The food pathogens isolated from microbiological media were then confirmed by molecular analysis. The results confirmed an overall S. aureus and S. enterica contamination of 42% (84/200) in the sushi and sashimi samples. Regarding prevalence of the individual pathogens involved, S. aureus was detected in 26% (52/200) and S. enterica in 16% (32/200) of the contaminated samples. This study demonstrates a high occurrence rate of S. aureus and S. enterica in sushi and sashimi foods in Malaysia, and warrants the necessity to monitor the microbiological process of RTE foods to ensure food safety for consumers.