Inactivation of Salmonella enterica on tomato stem scars by antimicrobial solutions and vacuum perfusion

Inactivation of Desiccation-Resistant Salmonella on Apple Slices Following Treatment with ε-Polylysine, Sodium Bisulfate, or Peracetic Acid and Subsequent Dehydration

Salmonella is capable of surviving dehydration within various foods, such as dried fruit. Dried fruit, including apple slices, have been the subject of product recalls due to contamination with Salmonella. A study was conducted to determine the fate of Salmonella on apple slices, following immersion in three antimicrobial solutions (viz., ε-polylysine [epsilon-polylysine or EP], sodium bisulfate [SBS], or peracetic acid [PAA]), and subsequent hot air dehydration. Gala apples were aseptically cored and sliced into 0.4 cm thick rings, bisected, and inoculated with a five-strain composite of desiccation-resistant Salmonella, to a population of 8.28 log CFU/slice. Slices were then immersed for 2 min in various concentrations of antimicrobial solutions, including EP (0.005, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.1%), SBS (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3%), PAA (18 or 42 ppm), or varying concentrations of PAA + EP, and then dehydrated at 60°C for 5 h. Salmonella populations in positive control samples (inoculated apple slices washed in sterile water) declined by 2.64 log after drying. In the present study, the inactivation of Salmonella, following EP and SBS treatments, increased with increasing concentrations, with maximum reductions of 3.87 and 6.20 log (with 0.1 and 0.3% of the two compounds, respectively). Based on preliminary studies, EP concentrations greater than 0.1% did not result in lower populations of Salmonella. Pretreatment washes with either 18 or 42 ppm of PAA inactivated Salmonella populations by 4.62 and 5.63 log, respectively, following desiccation. Combining PAA with up to 0.1% EP induced no greater population reductions of Salmonella than washing with PAA alone. The addition of EP to PAA solutions appeared to destabilize PAA concentrations, reducing its biocidal efficacy. These results may provide antimicrobial predrying treatment alternatives to promote the reduction of Salmonella during commercial or consumer hot air drying of apple slices.

Antimicrobial coating with organic acids and essential oil for the enhancement of safety and shelf life of grape tomatoes

This study investigated the antimicrobial efficacy of two coatings against populations of nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and native microorganisms on whole grape tomatoes. Tomatoes were surface-coated in two chitosan-acid coating solutions. Solution 1 (Chitosan) consisted of 1 % chitosan and 2 % acetic, lactic and levulinic acids. Solution 2 (Chitosan+AIT) consisted of Solution 1 plus 2 % allyl isothiocyanate (AIT). After the treatments, tomatoes were placed in PET containers and stored at 10 °C for 21 days. Chitosan and Chitosan+AIT treatments reduced Salmonella populations from 3.65 to 1.28 and <0.70 log CFU/tomato on day 1, respectively. Both treatments reduced Salmonella populations to undetectable levels (<0.70 log CFU/tomato) from Day 2 through Day 21. Similarly, Chitosan+AIT treatments caused a greater reduction in Listeria populations than Chitosan treatment on day 1, but there were no significant differences between the two treatments after day 2. Chitosan and Chitosan+AIT reduced native bacteria populations to an undetectable level after 2 days and reduced the population of native yeasts & molds to an undetectable level after 1 day. The presence of mold was only observed on control sample after 21 days. Quality analyses showed that samples which were subject to coating treatment maintained their texture and color for 21 days at 10 °C with less water loss compared to the controls. This study suggests that chitosan-acid coating is applicable for extending the shelf-life and enhancing the safety of grape tomatoes.

Survival of Salmonella during Apple Dehydration as Affected by Apple Cultivar and Antimicrobial Pretreatment

ABSTRACT

Dehydrated fruits, including dried coconut (Cocos nucifera) and dried apple (Malus sp.) slices, have been the subject of manufacturer recalls due to contamination with Salmonella. A study was conducted to determine the survival of Salmonella on apple slices of six apple cultivars after dehydration and also following treatment with antimicrobial solutions (0.5%, w/w) and dehydration. Samples of six apple cultivars (Envy, Gala, Red Delicious, Fuji, Pink Lady, Granny Smith) were cored and sliced into 0.4-cm rings, halved, inoculated with a five-strain composite of desiccation-resistant Salmonella, and dehydrated at 60°C for 5 h. Subsequently, Gala apple slices were treated in 0.5% solutions of one of eight antimicrobial rinses for 2 min and then dehydrated at 60°C for 5 h. Antimicrobial solutions used were potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, ascorbic acid, propionic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, and sodium bisulfate. Reduction of Salmonella populations varied according to apple cultivar. Salmonella survival on Envy, Gala, Red Delicious, Fuji, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith was 5.92, 5.58, 4.83, 4.68, 4.45, and 3.84 log CFU, respectively. There was significantly greater (P < 0.05) Salmonella inactivation on Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Fuji apples than on Gala and Envy. Survival of Salmonella on Gala apple slices following dehydration was 5.58 log CFU for the untreated control and 4.76, 3.90, 3.29, 3.13, 2.89, 2.83, 2.64, and 0.0 log CFU for those treated with potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, ascorbic acid, propionic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, and sodium bisulfate, respectively. Pretreatment of apple slices with either fumaric acid or sodium bisulfate before dehydration led to lower Salmonella survival than pretreatment with all other antimicrobial treatments. Lower apple pH was statistically correlated (P < 0.05) with decreasing survival of Salmonella following dehydration. These results may provide methodology applicable to the food industry for increasing the inactivation of Salmonella during the dehydration of apple slices.

HIGHLIGHTS

Two Generally Recognized as Safe Surfactants plus Acidulants Inactivate Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes in Suspension or on Dip-Inoculated Grape Tomatoes

ABSTRACT

Contamination of fresh produce with the foodborne pathogens Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 continues to be problematic, resulting in outbreaks of foodborne illness and costly corporate recalls. Various individual concentrations of citric or lactic acids (0.35 to 0.61%) or isopropyl citrate (0.16 to 0.54%) combined with two generally recognized as safe surfactants, 0.025% sodium-2-ethyl-hexyl sulfate and 0.025% sodium dodecylbenzene-sulfonate, were tested against these three pathogens in suspension and when inoculated and dried on the surface of grape tomatoes. The efficacy of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO; at 46 ppm) was also evaluated under dirty and clean conditions in suspension after addition of 0.3 or 0.03% bovine serum albumin, respectively, as an organic load. NaClO (46 ppm) inactivated the three pathogens in suspension by <0.76 log CFU/mL after 5 min in the presence of 0.3% bovine serum albumin, whereas 9 and 15 ppm of free chlorine inactivated the pathogens by 0.64 and 2.77 log CFU/mL, respectively, after 5 min under clean conditions. Isopropyl citrate (0.16% acidulant) plus 0.05% total concentration of the two surfactants inactivated the pathogens in suspension by up to 7.0 log CFU/mL within 2 min. When applied to grape tomatoes for 2 min, 0.54% isopropyl citrate plus 0.025% concentrations of each of the two surfactants reduced Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocytogenes by as much as ca. 5.47, 4.89, and 4.19 log CFU/g, respectively. These reductions were significantly greater than those achieved with 49 ppm of free chlorine. Citric acid and lactic acid plus surfactant washes achieved greater inactivation than water-only washes, reducing Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocytogenes on tomatoes by up to 4.90, 4.37, and 3.98 log CFU/g, respectively. These results suggest that these combinations of acidulants and surfactants may be an effective tool for preventing cross-contamination during the washing of grape tomatoes, for reducing pathogens on the fruit itself, and as an alternative to chlorine for washing fresh produce.

HIGHLIGHTS

Combination of levulinic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate on inactivation of foodborne microorganisms: A review

The combination of levulinic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in recent years has shown considerable promise as an antimicrobial intervention. Both ingredients have been designated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for being used as a flavoring agent and multipurpose food additive, respectively. The use of levulinic acid and SDS alone has limited antimicrobial efficacy on tested microorganisms, and synergism between levulinic acid and SDS has been observed. The postulated mechanism of action of the synergistic effect is presented. The antimicrobial efficacy of levulinic acid plus SDS remains high even when organic materials are present. The other features, including penetration, foamability, and being readily soluble, extend its potential applications to disinfection of difficult-to-access areas and control of foodborne pathogens both in a planktonic state and in a biofilm. These features indicate that the levulinic acid plus SDS combination may have the potential to be applied within the food processing environment on a large scale.

Tomato type and post-treatment water rinse affect efficacy of acid washes against Salmonella enterica inoculated on stem scars of tomatoes and product quality

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of post-treatment rinsing with water on the inactivation efficacy of acid treatments against Salmonella inoculated onto stem scar areas of two types of tomatoes. In addition, impact on fruit quality was investigated during 21 days post-treatment storage at 10 °C. A four-strain cocktail of Salmonella enterica (S. Montevideo, S. Newport, S. Saintpaul, and S. Typhimurium) was inoculated onto stem scar areas of grape and large round tomatoes. The inoculated fruits were then treated for 2 min with the following solutions: water, 2% lactic acid +2% acetic acid +2% levulinic acid, 1.7% lactic acid +1.7% acetic acid +1.7% levulinic acid, and 3% lactic acid +3% acetic acid. After treatments, half of the fruits were rinsed with water while another half were not rinsed. Non-inoculated grape tomatoes for quality analysis were treated with the same solutions with and without subsequent water rinse. Results demonstrated that the acid combinations reduced populations of Salmonella enterica on the stem scar area of grape tomatoes by 1.52-1.90 log CFU/fruit, compared with the non-treated control while water wash and rinse removed the bacterium by only 0.23-0.30 log CFU/fruit. On the stem scar of large round tomatoes, the same acid treatments achieved 3.54 log CFU/fruit reduction of the pathogen. The varying response to the acid washes between grape and large round tomatoes seems to be related to the differences in surface characteristics of stem scar areas observed with SEM. Rinsing with water after acid combination treatments did not significantly affect the efficacy of the treatments in either grape or large round tomatoes. Acidic off-odor was detected on fruits treated with acid combination without water rinse 1 day after treatment while water rinse eliminated the off-odor. The acid treatments with and without water rinse did not consistently affect appearance, color, firmness, or lycopene or ascorbic acid contents of tomatoes during 21-days storage at 10 °C. Considering the similarity in antimicrobial efficacy between the fruits with and without water rinse following acid treatments, and the elimination of acidic odor by water rinse, fruits should be rinsed with water after acid treatments. Overall, our results demonstrated that the acids were more effective in inactivating Salmonella on large round tomatoes than on grape tomatoes, and water rinses following acid treatments eliminated the acidic odor without affecting the efficacy of the acids against Salmonella.

Salmonella enterica Contamination of Market Fresh Tomatoes: A Review

Salmonella contamination associated with market fresh tomatoes has been problematic for the industry and consumers. A number of outbreaks have occurred, and dollar losses for the industry, including indirect collateral impact to agriculturally connected communities, have run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. This review covers these issues and an array of problems and potential solutions surrounding Salmonella contamination in tomatoes. Some other areas discussed include (i) the use of case-control studies and DNA fingerprinting to identify sources of contamination, (ii) the predilection for contamination based on Salmonella serovar and tomato cultivar, (iii) internalization, survival, and growth of Salmonella in or on tomatoes and the tomato plant, in biofilms, and in niches ancillary to tomato production and processing, (iv) the prevalence of Salmonella in tomatoes, especially in endogenous regions, and potential sources of contamination, and (v) effective and experimental means of decontaminating Salmonella from the surface and stem scar regions of the tomato. Future research should be directed in many of the areas discussed in this review, including determining and eliminating sources of contamination and targeting regions of the country where Salmonella is endemic and contamination is most likely to occur. Agriculturalists, horticulturalists, microbiologists, and epidemiologists may make the largest impact by working together to solve other unanswered questions regarding tomatoes and Salmonella contamination.

Inactivation of Salmonella in grape tomato stem scars by organic acid wash and chitosan-allyl isothiocyanate coating

The objective of this study was to evaluate inactivation of inoculated Salmonella enterica on grape tomato stem scars exploiting integrated treatment of organic acid wash (AW) followed by chitosan-allyl isothiocyanate (CT-AIT) coating. The treatment effect on microbial loads and fruit quality during 21days storage at 10°C was also determined. A bacterial cocktail containing three serotypes of Salmonella enterica was used for this study based on their association with produce-related outbreaks. Tomatoes were spot inoculated on stem scars and then immersed in an organic acid solution (700ml) containing 0.5% (v/v) each of acetic (AA) and formic acid (FA) to wash under mild agitation for 1min at ambient temperature (22°C) followed by 1min dipping in a coating solution containing 6mlAIT/g CT. AW in 0.5% organic acid (AA+FA) for 1min reduced Salmonella population by 2.7logCFU/g from an initial load of 7.8logCFU/g, while additional coating treatment of AW tomatoes reduced the pathogens on stem scars to undetectable levels (<0.7logCFU/g), achieving, in combination, a >7logCFU/g reduction for the pathogen. Although the populations of Salmonella in the controls (approx. 7.8logCFU/g stem scar) did not change significantly during 21days of storage at 10°C, the populations were reduced to undetectable level in the integrated (AW plus CT-AIT) treated stem scars on day 1 and no regrowth was observed during storage. The treatment significantly (p<0.05) reduced background bacterial loads to approx. 1.3logCFU/g and the population remained unchanged through day 21 at 10°C. The treatment also completely inactivated mold and yeast on day 1 with no growth reoccurrence. These results indicate that the integrated treatment can provide a safe and effective intervention strategy for grape tomatoes.

Effectiveness of levulinic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate employed as a sanitizer during harvest or packing of cantaloupes contaminated with Salmonella Poona

Freshly harvested Eastern variety cantaloupes (Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus cv. Athena) were subjected to three different harvest and wash treatments to examine conditions under which the efficacy of the sanitizer, levulinic acid (LV) plus sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), could be enhanced to reduce Salmonella contamination. In treatment set one, cantaloupes were spot inoculated with Salmonella enterica serovar Poona (prepared from solid or liquid media cultures) before or after a 1-min dip treatment in LV (2.5, 5.0, 7.5, or 10%) and 2.5% SDS. S. Poona initial populations on rind tissue (4.26-5.04 log CFU/sample) were reduced to detection by enrichment culture when cantaloupes were subsequently exposed to any of the LV/SDS solutions. When S. Poona was introduced after cantaloupes had been dip-treated, greater decreases in pathogen populations at the stem scar were observed when cantaloupes were treated with increasing concentrations of LV. In treatment set two, the response of S. Poona dip-treated with 5% LV/2.5% SDS was compared to a simulated commercial dump tank treatment incorporating 200 ppm chlorine as well as a two-stage treatment employing both the chlorine tank and LV/SDS dip treatments. S. Poona levels (log CFU/sample or # positive by enrichment culture/# analyzed) after treatments were 5.25, 3.07, 7/10, 5/10 (stem scar) and 3.90, 25/40, 28/40, 20/40 (rind) for non-treated, chlorine tank, LV/SDS dip, and tank plus dip treatments, respectively. In treatment set three, freshly harvested cantaloupes were first treated in the field using a needle-free stem scar injection (200 μl, 7.5% LV/1.0% SDS, 60 psi) and a cantaloupe spray (30 ml, 7.5% LV/0.5% SDS). Cantaloupe stem scar and rind tissue were then spot-inoculated with S. Poona using either a liquid or soil-based medium followed by a simulated dump tank treatment incorporating either 200 ppm chlorine or 5% LV/2% SDS. S. Poona inoculated on field-treated cantaloupe rind decreased by 4.7 and 5.31 (liquid) and 3.27 and 3.36 (soil) log CFU/sample after simulated chlorine and LV/SDS tank treatments, respectively. In the case of stem scar tissue, S. Poona populations exhibited a 1.0 log greater reduction when cantaloupes were treated with LV/SDS compared to chlorine in the dump tank (P<0.05). Based on this study, application of multiple hurdles is warranted, as additional decreases in S. Poona populations were obtained when cantaloupes were subjected to a chlorine dump tank followed by a LV/SDS dip treatment.