Salmonella Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Salmonella, including details on salmonella typhimurium, food poisoning, infection, treatment.

Irradiation D values of Salmonella spp. in diced tomatoes dipped in 1% calcium chloride.

Prakash A, Johnson N, Foley D

Department of Physical Sciences , Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA. prakash@chapman.edu

Outbreaks of salmonellosis have been associated with eating raw domestic tomatoes. In this study, we examined the efficiency of combined irradiation and a 1% calcium chloride dip to reduce the population of Salmonella enterica strains on diced tomatoes. Tomatoes were contaminated with nalidixic acid-resistant strains of S. Hartford, S. Montevideo, or a mixture of 5 strains (S. Hartford, S. Montevideo, S. Poona, S. Michigan, S. Gaminara). We irradiated tomatoes at various doses up to 0.9 kGy from an electron beam source to conduct a D-value study (decimal reduction time required to eliminate 90% of the organism). Surviving Salmonella populations were detected by standard and recovery plating methods. D-value results ranged from 0.26 to 0.39 kGy, indicating that a 5 log(10) CFU/g reduction in Salmonella spp. in diced tomatoes would require a dose of 1.3-1.95 kGy.

Published 23 March 2007 in Foodborne Pathog Dis, 4(1): 84-8.
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