Compliance with Laws and Slaughterhouse Standards of Butcher’s Shops in North-Eastern Thailand

The objective of this research is to study the characteristics of slaughterhouses and meat distribution of butcher’s shops operating under the relevant laws, including attitudes, problems, and obstacles facing butchers in implementing the law in the north-eastern part of Thailand. A total of 14 butcher shops at Baan Din Dam, Muang District, Maha Sarakham Province, participated in the study. Data were collected by surveying, interviews by using a semi-structured questionnaire, and focus group discussion. It was found that in cases where animals are slaughtered in standard slaughterhouses, butchers complied with the law. On the other hand, in the case of butchers who slaughtered animals by themselves, it was found that the practice mostly did not meet the standards as required by law. In terms of problems, obstacles, and attitudes of butchers regarding legal compliance, it was found that the butchers have knowledge related to law at a moderate level. They considered that the law was difficult to follow, but there was also a positive opinion that complying with the law gives consumers confidence and safety. Education level is the factor affecting opinions and attitudes on slaughter and meat distribution law. Compliance with butchers’ slaughter and meat distribution laws in north-eastern part of Thailand requires supervision from the government, and ongoing provision of education is necessary

Antimicrobial activity of polyphenols extracted from Thai medical plants on extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> isolates from healthy dairy cows

Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) are antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacteriaceae important in the livestock production sector, especially dairy cows because these antimicrobial-resistant bacteria can be transferred to consumers via consumption. If antimicrobials are continually used in dairy farms, this may result in antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, investigation of antimicrobial resistance and finding new alternative methods for inhibiting ESBL-producing E. coli is essential. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine the ability of selected antimicrobials to inhibit E. coli ATCC 25922, control bacteria and ESBL-producing E. coli isolated from dairy farms. We also investigated the capacity of polyphenol extract from 10 varieties of medicinal plants to inhibit ESBL-producing E. coli using a broth microdilution method. It was found that control bacteria were susceptible to all antimicrobial agents, i.e., ampicillin, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, gentamycin, imipenem, nalidixic acid, tetracycline, and sulfamethoxazole/ trimethoprim. However, ESBL-producing E. coli exhibited both susceptibility and resistance to selected antimicrobials. The polyphenol extracted from Psidium guajava Linn at the lowest concentration was 4.5 mg/mL, which could inhibit control bacteria, but at the same concentration could not inhibit ESBL-producing E. coli. These phenomena indicated that ESBL-producing E. coli had both susceptibility and resistance to antimicrobials. Polyphenol, which could inhibit non-resistant E. coli, could not inhibit ESBL-producing E. coli