Survival of acid-adapted or non-adapted Salmonella Enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7, in traditional Greek salads

The fate of three pathogens Salmonella Enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 that were inoculated in fish roe salad and aubergine salad with or without preservatives after being adapted in acid environment or not, was determined. The salads were stored at 10  ° C and the pathogens population was counted at regular intervals. Parameters (lag time, death rates calculated with Baranyi equation) were used to compare the behaviour of the pathogens. In the absence of preservatives the pathogens survived during the 15 days of storage. A 1 log reduction was observed for Listeria and 2 logs reduction for Salmonella and E. coli in both salads. In most cases, acid adaptation decreased the death rate even in the presence of preservatives. The addition of sorbic and benzoic acid in the salads increased the death rate of the pathogens during storage significantly and they were not detected at 7–10 days for Salmonella , 8–12 days for Listeria and 5 days for E. coli . It is concluded that a well-studied combination of hurdles is appropriate to ensure safety of home-made traditional salads free of preservatives.