Abstract Pado is a unique fermented fish product of West Sumatera Indonesia, prepared using dried Pangium edule Reinw seed in combination with grated coconut, with or without salt. Changing of microflora during fermentation has not been extensively reported. This study observed the changes of microflora, especially lactic acid bacteria, during fermentation for 7 days at room temperature (25-30 °C) of pado without the addition of salt. No microorganisms were found on dried P. edule seed. Enterobacteriaceae and spore-forming bacteria decreased and were not found at the end of the fermentation, while the yeast and mold counts were relatively constant at a low level. Instead, lactic acid bacteria increased along with the fermentation process, in line with the decreasing of pH, water contents, and water activity of the fish product. Apparently, few species of lactic acid bacteria are involved during fermentation, most likely due to the use of P. edule seed (as no salt was used). Partial sequencing based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus pentosus were consistently identified at the various fermentation steps. This study reports that although lactic acid bacteria predominate, only a few species are involved in pado fermentation.

Abstract Homemade foods have been reported as an important contributor to some foodborne outbreaks. This study determined the prevalence and number of Salmonella spp. on selected pathways of fried chicken preparation and cooking at the household level and investigated their antimicrobial resistance. Salmonella serovar was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and partial sequencing using primer 785F and 907R. Samples consisted of chicken meat (raw, pre-cooked and fried), seasoning, water, mortar, and the hands of the food handler. The results showed that Salmonella spp. was found in 22.1% of 104 samples. The level of Salmonella found was in the range of 0.3 MPN/g (in fried chicken and water) to 920 MPN/g (in marinated raw chicken). Six Salmonella serovars were identified, namely S. Typhimurium, S. Bergen, S. Enteritidis strain FORC_052, S. Enteritidis strain GD1011, S. Typhi strain 541, and S. Typhi strain 3N4. Three were resistant to nalidixic acid, while one was resistant to streptomycin.