Fabiana Quoos Mayer

The demand for plant-based cheese analogues has increased in recent years, driven both by the growing adoption of vegan and vegetarian diets and by consumers seeking plant-based alternatives to animal-derived products. Their production relies on diverse raw materials and often incorporates fermentation processes involving molds, yeasts, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Within this context, ensuring food safety, including the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) aspects, is essential due to the complex microbial communities involved in fermentation. Therefore, this study investigated the presence of bacterial species of potential public health relevance and assessed AMR profiles and genes in plant-based cheese analogues acquired in Brazil. None of the samples tested positive for Salmonella spp., coagulase-positive Staphylococcus , or Escherichia coli , while Bacillus cereus was detected in one sample. Two atypical colonies recovered on selective media for Salmonella were identified as Cronobacter malonaticus and Delftia acidovorans . Most samples exhibited high mold and yeast counts, likely associated with fermentation and maturation processes. Among 176 LAB isolates, 11 species were identified by MALDI-TOF, and twenty representative strains were selected for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Resistance was detected in a limited number of isolates, mainly to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and gentamicin, whereas C. malonaticus exhibited resistance to penicillin. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on Lactiplantibacillus plantarum , Levilactobacillus brevis , Leuconostoc mesenteroides , Enterococcus faecium , and C. malonaticus . A total of eight antimicrobial resistance genes were identified, four of which were located on plasmids in C. malonaticus and L. brevis . These findings suggest that microorganisms associated with plant-based cheese analogues may act as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance determinants, highlighting the importance of safety assessment and microbiological surveillance of strains intended for technological or probiotic applications.

Efficient, high-quality production is essential to the swine industry, with carcass inspection by health authorities playing a crucial role in detecting abnormalities that may lead to condemnation, including enteritis. Enteritis is, usually, characterized by changes in color, mucosal integrity, intestinal wall thickness and luminal contents and has a multifactorial etiology. This study assessed and classified visual lesions attributed to enteritis and to seek for associations with known pathogens. A scoring system was applied to classify visual changes, and 30 condemned intestines were categorized as mild (< 10 points), moderate (11–20 points), or severe (> 20 points). Laboratory analyses included histopathology; isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp.; and molecular detection of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), Lawsonia intracellularis , Brachyspira pilosicoli , and Brachyspira hyodysenteriae . Lesions were classified as mild (23%), moderate (57%), and severe (20%). PCV2 and L. intracellularis DNA were detected in 60% and 23% of samples, respectively. E. coli was isolated from 57% of intestines, of which 87% exhibited antimicrobial resistance and 56% were multidrug-resistant. No samples tested positive for Salmonella spp., B. pilosicoli , or B. hyodysenteriae . Lower condemnation scores were associated with the presence of PCV2 DNA, mild lesions, and lymph nodes showing necrosis and follicular depletion. Mild lesions were also associated with a lower frequency of multidrug-resistant E. coli . The high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance is concerning from a One Health perspective. These findings underscore the importance of pathogen monitoring, antimicrobial stewardship, and strong animal welfare practices within the swine production chain.

Coastal ecotones are highly dynamic environments for viral studies due to their extreme abiotic conditions, transitional nature between marine and terrestrial domains and high biodiversity. In Brazil, the Restinga is a coastal ecotone along the shoreline, characterized by nutrient‐poor sandy soils, high salinity, strong winds and intense solar radiation, hosting poorly explored microbial communities essential for ecological balance. This exploratory study provides a preliminary characterization of viral diversity across three Restinga localities in southern Brazil (Imbé, Cidreira and Mostardas) using metagenomics. We identified 261 viral families, 2023 genera and 6064 species, with ‘Unknown’ representing 44%–46% of families and ~9% of genera. Among known taxa, Mimiviridae was most frequent (15%–16%), followed by Phycodnaviridae (9%), Peduoviridae (5%) and Kyanoviridae (4%–5%). Genera such as Tupanvirus and Fadolivirus were abundant (~5%), with Fadolivirus algeromassiliense and Donellivirus gee among the most frequent species. Although alpha diversity and composition did not differ significantly among sites, landscape features influenced viral communities. Viral richness and abundance increased with urban land cover and isolation but decreased with Restinga cover and patch fragmentation.

Reproductive diseases in swine are responsible for important losses in pig farming. Within this context, stillbirth is one of the major causes of productive losses and sow culling. This is a complex condition, in which definitive diagnosis is difficult due to a plurality of associated factors. The maternal intestinal microbiota has been gaining attention, but there are still a low number of studies on this subject. In the present study the intestinal bacterial microbiota and its metabolic pathways were assessed in 68 sows with (n = 36) and without (n = 32) stillbirths from a farrowing-to-wean commercial pig farm from Southern Brazil. Some opportunistic pathogens were enriched in the stillbirths’ group such as bacteria from the genera Odoribacter and UCG-001; while in the group without stillbirths, bacteria from the family Oscillospiraceae and the genus Faecalibacterium were enriched; these bacteria are candidates for next generation probiotics in humans, making them also promising for future studies with probiotics in swine farming. Moreover, two metabolic pathways were inferred as enriched, one in each group, both related to the maintenance of the bacterial cell wall, with no obvious association with the occurrence of stillbirths. The data obtained in the present study characterized the intestinal microbiota of sows in the studied region, allowing a better understanding of their importance in animal health.

Brazil is the largest beef exporter and 3rd largest producer of milk in the world, and Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state contributes to this result. Thus, farm animal welfare (FAW) is an important issue. The aim of this study was accessing the RS cattle breeders’ perception of their knowledge about FAW and factors that explain it. A questionnaire structured in three sections - owners and farms; herd handling and ambience; animal welfare perception and knowledge – was used. Univariate analysis was performed to select variables to be used in multivariate logistic regression, having as dependent variable the knowledge about FAW – little or a lot. There were 267 valid questionnaires. Knowledge about five freedoms (“Yes, I know”, P = 0.026; coefficient = 1.361), opinion on profitability due to FAW (“Almost always” P = 0.037, coefficient = 1.886; “Always” P = 0.027, coefficient = 1.869) and herd size (“601 – 1000 animals” P = 0.003, coefficient = 2.144; “1001 – 2000 animals” P = 0.008, coefficient = 2.072) were the variables that explain the dependent variable. This result reflects the awareness of RS cattle breeders about FAW, even though to meet the demands of the market.

This study emphasizes the importance of monitoring the microbiological quality of animal products, such as raw sheep’s milk and cheese, to ensure food safety. In Brazil, there is currently no legislation governing the quality of sheep’s milk and its derivatives. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate: (i) the hygienic-sanitary quality of raw sheep’s milk and cheese produced in southern Brazil; (ii) the presence of enterotoxins and Staphylococcus spp. in these products; and (iii) the susceptibility of the isolated Staphylococcus spp. to antimicrobial drugs and the presence of resistance genes. A total of 35 samples of sheep’s milk and cheese were examined. The microbiological quality and presence of enterotoxins were accessed using Petrifilm and VIDAS SET2 methods, respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were conducted using VITEK 2 equipment and the disc diffusion method. The presence of resistance genes tet(L), sul1, sul2, ermB, tetM, AAC(6)’, tetW, and strA were evaluated through PCR. In total, 39 Staphylococcus spp. were obtained. The resistance genes tetM, ermB, strA, tetL, sul1, AAC(6)’, and sul2 were detected in 82%, 59%, 36%, 28%, 23%, 3%, and 3% of isolates, respectively. The findings revealed that both raw sheep’s milk and cheese contained Staphylococcus spp. that exhibited resistance to antimicrobial drugs and harbored resistance genes. These results underscore the immediate need for specific legislation in Brazil to regulate the production and sale of these products.

This work highlights that monitoring the microbiological quality of animal products, such as raw sheep’s milk and cheese, is necessary for food safety. Sheep’s milk and its derivatives are not legislated in Brazil. Thus, present study aimed to evaluate: (i) the hygienic-sanitary quality of raw sheep’s milk and cheese produced in southern Brazil; (ii) the presence of enterotoxins and Staphylococcus spp. in these products; and (iii) the antimicrobial susceptibility profile and resistance genes of the isolated Staphylococcus spp. Thirty-five raw sheep’s milk and cheese samples were evaluated. Microbiological quality and the presence of enterotoxins were determined by Petrifilm and VIDAS SET2 methods, respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were conducted using VITEK 2 equipment and the disc diffusion method. The presence of resistance genes tet(L), sul1, sul2, ermB, tetM, AAC(6)', tetW, and strA were evaluated by PCR. In total, 39 Staphylococcus spp. were isolated. The tetM, ermB, strA, tetL, sul1, AAC(6)’, and sul2 resistance genes were detected in 82%, 59%, 36%, 28%, 23%, 3%, and 3% of isolates, respectively. The results showed that both products contained Staphylococcus spp. and these strains were resistant to antimicrobials as well carriers of resistance genes. These results highlight Brazil's need for specific legislation regarding the pro-duction and marketing of these products.