THE CROSS-CONTAMINATION AND SURVIVAL OF SALMONELLA-ENTERITIDIS PT4 ONSTERILE AND NONSTERILE FOODSTUFFS

The ability of two strains of Salmonella enteritidis PT4 to cross-cont aminate from inoculated egg droplets on surfaces onto melon or beef(st erile 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 f or all the food pieces to be contaminated when egg droplets had been a llowed to dry. Both strains were capable of rapid growth on melon and beef(sterile or non-sterile) at 20 degrees C, but growth rates on beef appeared to be slowed by pre-exposure to either 4 or - 18 degrees C.