Research progress on contamination and risk assessment of antibiotic resistance genes in fresh agri-foods: A review focusing on Fujian Province

Antibiotic resistance genes（ARGs）, recognized as emerging environmental contaminants, persistently circulate among environmental matrices, animal hosts, and microbial communities, potentially leading to human exposure through the food chain and posing risks to food safety and public health. Fujian Province, characterized by the coexistence of intensive aquaculture and livestock production, a pronounced subtropical monsoon climate, and closely interconnected mountain–coast landscapes and river networks, serves as a representative region for investigating foodborne ARGs at a regional scale. Guided by the One Health framework, this review examines ARG contamination in major fresh agri-food products in Fujian Province. Specifically, it（1）summarizes the driving effects of typical agroecosystems on ARG contamination and outlines the agroecological background from the perspectives of pollution sources, transmission pathways, and key driving mechanisms;（2）synthesizes current research on ARG contamination in fresh agri-foods in Fujian Province, indicating that evidence is relatively robust for aquatic and livestock products, whereas vegetables, particularly raw leafy vegetables, remain insufficiently studied despite concerns over cryptic exposure and endophytic colonization, and noting substantial heterogeneity among studies in sample types and related aspects;（3）reviews advances in risk assessment methodologies for ARG contamination and their limitations in regional application, highlighting that current studies in Fujian still face constraints such as insufficient regional baseline data, unclear cross-media exposure linkages, difficulty in determining ARG activity and mobility, and a lack of localized risk parameters; and（4）discusses future directions for monitoring and control, recommending strengthened regional baseline surveys, whole-chain monitoring, and tiered risk assessment, together with cross-sectoral collaborative governance, to provide scientific support for food safety assurance and antimicrobial resistance mitigation in Fujian Province.