Effect of sanitizer treatments on Salmonella Stanley attached to the surface of cantaloupe and cell transfer to fresh-cut tissues during cutting practices

The ability of Salmonella Stanley to attach and survive on cantaloupe surfa ces, its in vivo response to chlorine or hydrogen peroxide treatments, and subsequent transfer to the interior tissue during cutting was investigated. Cantaloupes were immersed in an inoculum containing Salmonella Stanley (10 (8) CFU/ml) for 10 min and then stored at 4 or 20 degreesC for up to 5 days . Periodically, the inoculated melons were washed with chlorine (1,000 ppm) or hydrogen peroxide (5%), and fresh-cut tissues were prepared. The incide nce of Salmonella Stanley transfer from the rinds to the fresh-cut tissues during cutting practices was determined. A population of 3.8 log(10) CFU/cm (2) of Salmonella Stanley was recovered from the inoculated rinds. No signi ficant (P < 0.05) reduction of the attached Salmonella population was obser ved on cantaloupe surfaces stored at 4 or 20 degreesC for up to 5 days, and the population was not reduced after washing with water. Salmonella Stanle y was recovered in fresh-cut pieces prepared from inoculated whole cantalou pes with no sanitizer treatment. Washing with chlorine or hydrogen peroxide solutions was most effective immediately after inoculation, resulting in a n approximate 3.0-log(10) CFU/cm(2) reduction, and the level of recovered S almonella population transferred to fresh-cut samples was reduced to below detection. The effectiveness of both treatments diminished when inoculated cantaloupes stored at 4 or 20 degreesC for more than 3 days were analyzed, and the fresh-cut pieces prepared from such melons were Salmonella positive . Salmonella outgrowth occurred on inoculated fresh-cut cubes stored above 4 degreesC.