The cross-contamination and survival of Salmonella enteritidis PT4 on sterile and non-sterile foodstuffs

Abstract

The ability of two strains of Salmonella enteritidis PT4 to cross-contaminate from inoculated egg droplets on surfaces onto melon or beef (sterile or non-sterile) was investigated. When the foods were placed on these surfaces where egg droplets were still wet, cross-contamination occurred within 1 s onto every piece of food. It took at least 1 min for all the food pieces to be contaminated when egg droplets had been allowed to dry. Both strains were capable of rapid growth on melon and beef (sterile or non-sterile) at 20°C, but growth rates on beef appeared to be slowed by pre-exposure to either 4 or - 18°C.