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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Produce Safety and Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #236143
Title: Differential attachment to and subsequent contamination of agricultural crops by Salmonella enterica

Author
item BARAK-CUNNINGHAM, JERI - UNIV. WISCONSIN, MADISON
item Liang, Anita
item Narm, Koh-Eun

Submitted to: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2008
Publication Date: 9/1/2008
Citation: Barak-Cunningham, J., Liang, A.S., Narm, K. 2008. Differential attachment to and subsequent contamination of agricultural crops by Salmonella enterica. Applied and Environmental Microbiology.74:5568-70

Interpretive Summary: U.S. salmonellosis outbreaks have occurred following consumption of tomato and cantaloupe but not lettuce. We report differential contamination among agricultural seedlings by Salmonella enterica via soil. Members of the family Brassicaceae had a higher incidence of outbreak than carrot, lettuce, and tomato. Once they were contaminated, phyllosphere populations were similar, except for tomato. Contamination differences exist among tomato cultivars.

Technical Abstract: U.S. salmonellosis outbreaks have occurred following consumption of tomato and cantaloupe but not lettuce. We report differential contamination among agricultural seedlings by Salmonella enterica via soil. Members of the family Brassicaceae had a higher incidence of outbreak than carrot, lettuce, and tomato. Once they were contaminated, phyllosphere populations were similar, except for tomato. Contamination differences exist among tomato cultivars.