ABSTRACT
Three hundred (300) samples of fresh raw chicken; beef; goat and pork meat were screened for Arcobacter species by selective cultural procedures and for Escherichia coli; Salmonella species and Staphylococcus aureus enriched in peptone water and then streaked onto appropriate bacteriological agar. From the 300 samples analysed; S. aureus {138 (46)} was the most frequently isolated organism; followed by E. coli {78 (26)}; Arcobacter spp. {57(19)} and Salmonella spp {6(2)}. In this study; varying level of resistance of Escherichia coli 66(84.6); Salmonella 6(100) and Arcobacter 57(100) to amoxicillin was observed. The susceptibility pattern indicates that the bacterial isolates exhibited a varying level of resistance to two or more antimicrobial agents with maximum resistance to amoxicillin. The detection of these organisms in meat may constitute a serious public health concern. Hence; there is a need for the implementation of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point System monitoring of critical contamination points used in meat production to ensure food safety in Nigeria