Tropical Biomedicine 37(1): 103–115 (2020) Survival of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli in vacuum- packed keropok lekor: Food safety alert among SME keropok lekor producers Wan-Hamat, H.1,2, Lani, M.N.2*, Hamzah, Y.2, Alias, R.3, Hassan, Z.4 and Mahat, N.A.5,6,7,8 1Food Safety and Quality Laboratory, Terengganu Health State Department, Kg. Bukit Tunggal, 21200 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia 2Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia 3Institute of Halal International, Universiti Selangor, Jalan Zirkon A 7/A, Seksyen 7, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia 4Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Bandar Baru Nilai, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia 5Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Malaysia 6Centre for Sustainable Nanomaterials, Ibnu Sina Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Malaysia 7Enzyme Technology and Green Synthesis Group, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Malaysia 8Centre of Research for Fiqh Forensics and Judiciary (CFORSJ), Islamic Science Institute, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Bandar Baru Nilai, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia *Corresponding author email:
[email protected] Received 27 February 2019; received in revised form 8 December 2019; accepted 9 December 2019 Abstract. The microbiological quality of thirty ready-to-eat (RTE) keropok lekor (a sausage shape Malaysian fish product) was evaluated in comparison to microbiological guidelines for ready to eat foods. The two E. coli isolates were subjected to DNA sequencing, identified and tested for their resistance towards fifteen different antibiotics. The survival and growth of the isolated E.