A total of 414 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from raw meat, humans, pigs and chickens between 2002 and 2005 were examined for susceptibility to 14 antimicrobial agents by the agar dilution method. In the isolates from dressed meat, the resistance rates were 54.4% (107/196), 66.7% (12/18) and 50.0% (9/18) in isolates from chicken, pork and beef, respectively. In the isolates from minced meat, the resistance rates were 78.1% (25/32), 83.3% (25/30) and 65.4% (17/26) in isolates from chicken, pork and beef, respectively. Most (86.7%) of the 195 resistant isolates showed multiple resistance to between two and eight antimicrobials. The most frequent anitimicrobial resistance profiles were PCG/ABPC (47.3%) and PCG/ABPC with other antimicrobials (one to six antimicrobials, 24.3%). Relatively high frequencies of resistance were observed with PCG (37.8%), ABPC (37.8%), OTC (20.9%), NFLX (17.5%) and EM (10.3%). The other 9 antimicrobials such as DSM, KM, LCM, BFLX, CP, MPIPC, CEZ, CEX or CET showed resistance levels below 10.0%. Only one MRSA isolate was isolated from minced pork. Commercial raw meat may contain resistant S. aureus posing a potential risk to consumers. In the isolates from the nares of humans, pigs and chickens, the resistance rates were 50.0% (17/34), 96.4% (53/55) and 100% (5/5) in isolates from humans, pigs and chickens, respectively. Resistance to PCG and ABPC was the most frequent in isolates from humans (38.2%) and pigs (65.5%). The pig isolates were also highly resistant to OTC (61.8%). A high frequency of restance to LCM (100%), OTC (80.0%) and EM (80.0%) was found in the isolates from chickens.