## 4 Discussion
coli_ contamination in beef samples from Saudi Arabia (22%) [82], Ethiopia (6%) [83], as well as hamburger samples from Portugal (20%) [43] and Ethiopia (6%) [84]. Food safety standards in these nations, including more testing, stronger laws, and better sanitation in slaughterhouses and meat processing factories, are believed to have contributed to the decline in _E. coli_ contamination levels. However, other researchers have reported higher contamination rates, such as 88% in Ghanaian beef samples and 100% in beef products from northwest Spain such as minced meat and hamburgers. _E. coli_ contamination of animal-derived foods is considered a sign of problems during preparation, storage, transportation, or delivery [85; 86]. While temperatures above 55 \({}^{\circ}\)C can easily kill _E. coli_ in food, there have been significant cases of contamination reported in these foods, indicating a high level of abuse [87]. This includes contamination with fecal matter and cross-contamination with cooked foods. Therefore, _E. coli_ is often seen as a sign of contamination in the feces of infants and young children, as well as food poisoning and gastroenteritis in adults [88; 89]. Even in low concentrations, _E. coli_ contamination of food poses a threat comparable to Salmonella contamination. During this investigation, strains of _E. coli_, _S. aureus_, _Salmonella_, _A. baumannii_, _L. monocytogenes_, and _H. alvei_ were isolated. The MBT Compass software accurately identified all these bacterial isolates at a rate of 100%, with a log value of \(>\)2.00. Our research lab has demonstrated that MBT is a highly accurate instrument for identifying microorganisms at the genus and species levels, including fungi, bacteria, and yeasts. The use of mass spectrometry in the field of food safety permits the identification of pathogens quickly and precisely [90; 91; 92]. Due to its high sensitivity and the requirement of only one sample, it is easy to use and detects even minute levels of microbes [8]. The results of this study are consistent with several previous studies that used MBT as a validation tool for identifying foodborne pathogens, such as _E. coli_, _Salmonella_, _Staphylococcus_, _Aeromonas_, and _Pseudomonas_ species [93; 94; 95; 62; 96]. The MBT procedure is also fast and economical, making it an attractive choice for the detection of foodborne illnesses. A further advantage of MBT is its cost-effectiveness, which is approximately $0.50 per sample when deployed in the food safety supply chain [97; 98]. Consequently, MBT can be used for the detection of foodborne pathogens. Using MALDI-TOF MS to identify bacteria has some disadvantages, including the requirement for specialized equipment and technical expertise that may not always be available in laboratories. A further limitation of this method is that it frequently fails to distinguish between closely related or poorly defined bacteria. Another possible disadvantage is the price of the MBT. The use of this method might, however, be sufficient in laboratories that are using MBT to detect food products. The use of MBT can reduce sample costs since consumables are so inexpensive and labor costs can be reduced as well [62]. MBT is considered a chemotaxonomic technique because it primarily relies on the similarities and differences between specific biomarkers [98]. The development of the MBT's algorithm for the automated recognition of various isolates utilized a robust and reliable identification approach. There are several pathogenic bacteria, including _E. coli_, that cause nosocomial infections. Studies have shown that _E. coli_ is the major cause of diarrhea [99; 100; 101; 102]. Despite the presence of various bacterial species in the human gut, _E. coli_ is more resistant to antibiotics than other Enterobacteriaceae [103; 104]. Therefore, antibiotic-resistant strains of _E. coli_present a significant challenge in the global fight against infectious diseases. The genes responsible for antibiotic resistance can be transferred between different species of bacteria.