CGIAR study informs antimicrobial resistance prevention in Uttar Pradesh, India

A study of antimicrobial resistance in chicken meat sold and consumed in Bareilly City, Uttar Pradesh, India, has highlighted how food safety practices across the poultry value chain can directly impact public health.

Researchers from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) studied how bacteria, including resistant strains, move through the poultry value chain from slaughterhouses and retail outlets to restaurants and households. Knowledge, attitude, and practice surveys with 147 retailers, 180 consumers, and 101 ready-to-eat meat vendors were carried out. Chicken samples were also tested for bacteria and their resistance to commonly used antibiotics.

The 2024 study found raw chicken meat from retail shops had the highest levels of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, followed by meat from restaurants and households.

• Staphylococcus aureus showed the highest resistance, with 60–70% of isolates resistant to antibiotics such as penicillin and tetracycline.
• Escherichia coli showed lower resistance (below 30%) across most antibiotics.
• Salmonella isolates were particularly resistant to tetracycline, a common antibiotic especially in retail meat samples.

The findings were discussed at a workshop on 28 October 2025, attended by scientists from ILRI and the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI); representatives from the SRMS Institute of Medical Sciences, Bareilly; officials from the Bareilly Municipal Corporation; veterinary officers from Uttar Pradesh’s animal husbandry sector; medical officers from Human Hospital, IVRI; private medical practitioners from Bareilly city; and chicken meat vendors. The workshop deliberated on the risk factors for chicken meat contamination identified in the study, as well as concerns regarding the knowledge and practices of both retailer meat vendors and household consumers. 

Stakeholders emphasized that improvements in hygiene practices could be achieved through targeted education and awareness campaigns. They also highlighted potential interventions, such as the use of decontaminant sprays, wipes, or dips, to reduce contamination levels on meat and in the surrounding environment, thereby lowering the risk of antimicrobial resistance spread across the city’s chicken value chain.

Where the risks are

A risk factor analysis pointed to several weak links in the poultry value chain in Bareilly city:

• Retail outlets are the most critical points of concern. Unclean clothing, uncut nails, wearing jewelry while handling meat, absence of dust covers, poor washing and disinfection, presence of flies, and selling meat in open spaces were linked to higher contamination rates.
• Restaurants faced risks from bulk cooking, keeping cooked meat at room temperature, using raw vegetables as garnish, and storing raw and cooked meat together.
• Consumers could also be exposed to contamination through poor handwashing habits, cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods, and not reheating chicken thoroughly before eating.

The workshop recommended hygiene improvements at the retailer level, which would have positive impacts on reducing antimicrobial resistance risks along the food chain. Simple changes like wearing clean protective clothing, using covered counters, and maintaining separate cutting tools were proposed to reduce bacterial spread in the chicken meat value chain.

Ram Pratim Deka, ILRI country representative in India and a member of the research team, added that “many of the risk factors for antimicrobial resistance are preventable. Focusing interventions on retailers, and promoting safe food handling among restaurants and consumers, can help reduce the spread of resistant bacteria.” Towards this goal, the researchers developed an innovative plant-based decontamination wipe to help reduce bacterial contamination on meat surfaces and carried out awareness campaigns to promote clean and safe meat production among local retailers.

As the world celebrates Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (18-24 November), this study highlights the importance of strengthening hygiene practices across animal product value chains to improve the safety of food and safeguard public health.

The study was part of the CGIAR One Health Initiative, which was launched in mid-2023, to improve the poultry value chain in Bareilly.

Read more: