Attachment strength and on-farm die-off rate of Escherichia coli on watermelon surfaces

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210115
• Publication Date: 2019-01-08T18:42:42Z
• Authors: Vijay Singh Chhetri; Kathryn Fontenot; Ronald Strahan; Veerachandra K. Y...; Cameron Cason; Karuna Kharel; Achyut Adhikari
• Keywords: 2. Zero hunger; Food Safety; Science; Q; R; Colony Count, Microbial; Food Contamination; 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences; Louisiana; Bacterial Adhesion; Crop Production; 3. Good health; Citrullus; Escherichia coli; Medicine; Chlorine; Sanitation; 0405 other agricultural sciences; Research Article; Disinfectants

Pre-harvest contamination of produce has been a major food safety focus. Insight into the behavior enteric pathogens on in pre-harvest conditions will aid developing and post-harvest risk management strategies. In this study, attachment strength (SR) die-off rate E. coli surface watermelon fruits efficacy aqueous chlorine treatment against strongly attached population were investigated. Watermelon seedlings transplanted eighteen plots. Prior to harvesting, cocktail generic (ATCC 23716, 25922 11775) was inoculated (n = 162) values daily rates examined up 6 days by assay. After 120 h, samples treated with (150 ppm free for 3 min). The SR value cells surfaces significantly increased (P<0.05) from 0.04 0.99 first 24 which primarily due decrease loosely population, given that constant. Thereafter, there no significant change values, h. ranged -0.12 1.3 log CFU/cm2. reduced level 4.2 CFU/cm2 (initial 5.6 CFU/cm2) 0.62 1.8 CFU/cm2), watermelons had an time 30 min h respectively. Overall, our findings revealed declined over agricultural environment. Microbial during stages may promote formation surfaces, could influence washing sanitation techniques.