The aim of the project is to collect information about the extent to which consumption of modified atmosphere packed sliced meat products (e.g. fermented dry sausage, cooked ham) contributes to the dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Therefore, tetracycline resistant lactic acid bacteria are isolated from meat products, identified and their resistance is molecular characterised. In a second main part, the genetic transfer of the resistance genes will be studied using in virtro and in vivo model systems.