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The antimicrobial effect of citrus extract (at 1 mL/kg [C1] and 2 mL/kg [C2]) on naturally occurring microbiota and inoculated pathogens (E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes at ca. 6 log cfu/g) in the traditional Greek yogurt-based salad Tzatziki stored at 4, 10, or 21 °C, was examined. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were high (8.0-8.5 log cfu/g) and varied only minimally for both the control (untreated) and the citrus extract-treated salad samples, whereas the higher citrus extract concentration yielded the lowest yeast populations, irrespective of temperature, during the entire storage period. Populations of inoculated E. coli (6 log cfu/g) declined in both untreated and citrus extract-treated samples from day 0-70, 35, and 15 at 4, 10, and 21 °C, respectively. Citrus extract had a significant effect on the survival of the inoculated E. coli O157:H7, with reductions of 2.8-4.8 log cfu/g in the citrus extract-treated samples at the end of the storage period. Our data show that L. monocytogenes survived in both untreated and citrus extract-treated samples during the entire storage period, irrespective of the storage temperature. The higher concentration of citrus extract had a significant effect on the survival of L. monocytogenes in the treated samples, and reductions of 1.5-3.0 logs were noted on final day 70, 35 and 15 at 4, 10 and 21 °C, respectively. The results of our study demonstrated the potential of citrus extract as a natural compound that can control the growth of food-borne pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes in Tzatziki, a yogurt-based salad., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As part of a trend toward healthy convenience foods, ready-to-eat (RTE) mixed-ingredient salads have become popular products among consumers. A mixed-ingredient salad contains combinations of raw ( e.g . leafy vegetables and tomatoes) and processed ( e.g . chicken, salmon, ham, pasta and couscous) ingredients. Contamination of leafy vegetables can occur during any step in the production chain and, since there is no step that kills pathogens, a completely safe final product can never be guaranteed. Meat ingredients, for example poultry meat and ham, are generally heat-treated before preparation, but may be contaminated after this treatment, e.g . when diced or sliced. When several ingredients are mixed together, cross-contamination may occur. Preparation of mixed-ingredient salads requires human handling, which presents an additional risk of bacterial contamination. With high-protein ingredients, e.g . cooked meat, the mixed-ingredient salad represents an excellent substrate for bacterial growth. This article reviews current knowledge regarding human bacterial pathogen prevalence in mixed-ingredient salads and the potential for pathogen growth in this product during storage., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

In this study, we investigated the fate of Listeria monocytogenes , pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica , and Escherichia coli O157:H7 gfp + inoculated in low numbers into ready-to-eat baby spinach and mixed-ingredient salad (baby spinach with chicken meat). Samples were stored at recommended maximum refrigerator temperature (8°C in Sweden) or at an abuse temperature (15°C) for up to 7 days. Mixed-ingredient salad supported considerable growth when stored at 15°C during shelf life (3 days), with populations of L. monocytogenes , pathogenic Y. enterocolitica , and E. coli O157:H7 gfp + increasing from less than 2.0 log CFU/g on day 0 to 7.0, 4.0, and 5.6 log CFU/g, respectively. However, when mixed-ingredient salad was stored at 8°C during shelf life, only L. monocytogenes increased significantly, reaching 3.0 log CFU/g within 3 days. In plain baby spinach, only pathogenic Y. enterocolitica populations increased significantly during storage for 7 days, and this was exclusively at an abuse temperature (15°C). Thus, mixing ready-to-eat leafy vegetables with chicken meat strongly influenced levels of inoculated strains during storage. To explore the food safety implications of these findings, bacterial numbers were translated into risks of infection by modeling. The risk of listeriosis (measured as probability of infection) was 16 times higher when consuming a mixed-ingredient salad stored at 8°C at the end of shelf life, or 200,000 times higher when stored at 15°C, compared with when consuming it on the day of inoculation. This indicates that efforts should focus on preventing temperature abuse during storage to mitigate the risk of listeriosis. The storage conditions recommended for mixed-ingredient salads in Sweden (maximum 8°C for 3 days) did not prevent growth of L. monocytogenes in baby spinach mixed with chicken meat. Manufacturers preparing these salads should be aware of this, and recommended storage temperature should be revised downwards to reduce the risk of foodborne disease.

The antimicrobial effect of citrus extract (at 1 mL/kg [TC1] and 2 mL/kg [TC2]) on the naturally occurring microflora and inoculated pathogens (Bacillus cereus and Salmonella enterica, at ca. 6 log cfu/g) in the traditional Greek yogurt-based salad Tzatziki during storage under vacuum at 4 or 10 °C was examined. We also examined the effect of citrus extract (Citrox(©)) against the two aforementioned pathogens in tryptic soy broth (TSB). Of the two treatments, TC2 yielded the lowest yeast counts, irrespective of temperature, resulting in approximately 2 (4 °C) and 3 (10 °C) log reductions on the final day of storage (70 and 30 days, respectively). Although panelists preferred the TC1-treated salad, the TC2-treated product was sensorily acceptable. Therefore, at the concentrations used, Citrox had no negative sensorial effect on the Tzatziki. During storage, the Bacillus populations in the Citrox-treated Tzatziki samples progressively decreased, showing major declines from days 12 and 28 (at 10 and 4 °C, respectively). Citrox, especially at 2 mL/kg, had a significant effect on the survival of B. cereus. S. enterica showed major declines in all untreated Tzatziki samples from day 0-70 (4 °C) and from day 0-30 (10 °C), with averages of 2.5 and 2.8 log cfu/g, respectively. The results indicate that Citrox (at 1 and 2 mL/kg) is effective, from a safety standpoint, for reducing Bacillus and Salmonella spp. in Tzatziki. In addition, 2% citrus extract also showed a higher inhibitory effect against B. cereus and S. enterica grown in TSB than 1% citrus extract., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)