Abstract
Background:
In addition to high palatability, meat and meat products are important sources of essential nutrients that are important to the growth and performance of our bodies. However, meat and its products can harbor various microorganisms. Pseudomonas species (spp.) are considered to be one of the primary causes of meat deterioration and spoilage, as well as foodborne illnesses.

Aim:
Different types of meat products were evaluated bacteriologically to detect the prevalence of Pseudomonas spp., in addition to the evaluation of the antibacterial effect of clove essential oil on P. aeruginosa.

Methods:
One hundred samples of minced meat, imported frozen meat, hamburgers, and luncheons were gathered randomly from various markets within the Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. Pseudomonas spp. were counted and identified; furthermore, the disk diffusion method was used to assess the antibiogram of P. aeruginosa, and some antibiotic resistance genes were detected. In addition, minimum inhibitory concentrations, minimum bactericidal concentrations, and the disc diffusion technique were used to evaluate the antibacterial properties of clove essential oil (CEO) in vitro. Furthermore, the experimental section assessed the effects of 5% and 10% CEO on the sensory characteristics and P. aeruginosa counts.

Results:
The results showed that 44% of samples harbored Pseudomonas spp. with a mean count of 5.08±0.13, 4.43±0.25, 3.79±0.18, and 3.29±0.28 log10 CFU ̸ g in minced beef meat, imported frozen meat, burgers, and luncheons, respectively. Four species were identified: P. psychrophila (40.9%), P. fluorescens (29.5%), P. fragi (18.2%), and P. aeruginosa (11.4%). P. aeruginosa was 100% resistant to tetracycline, oxacillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, lincomycin, and clindamycin; meanwhile, it was 100% sensitive to amikacin and ciprofloxacin. All tested P. aeruginosa harbored the blaSHV and Mcr1 genes; meanwhile, the blaOXA-1 gene was not detected. Furthermore, the CEO improved the sensory characteristics and reduced the number of P. aeruginosa.

Conclusion:
Due to growing concerns about food safety, natural antimicrobials were applied to control multidrug-resistant foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria. Clove essential oil had a noticeable effect on the overall acceptability of meat by sensory evaluation, and it was highly effective in meat preservation, achieving a reduction percent in P. aeruginosa count by 99.6%.

Key words: Clove, Drug resistance, Meat products, Preservation, Pseudomonas