Seasonality, shelf life and storage atmosphere are main drivers of the microbiome and E. coli O157:H7 colonization of post-harvest lettuce cultivated in a major production area in California.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Lettuce is linked to recurrent outbreaks of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections, the seasonality of which remains unresolved. Infections have occurred largely from processed lettuce, which undergoes substantial physiological changes during storage. We investigated the microbiome and STEC O157:H7 (EcO157) colonization of fresh-cut lettuce of two cultivars with long and short shelf life harvested in the spring and fall in California and stored in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) at cold and warm temperatures.

Results

Inoculated EcO157 declined significantly less on the cold-stored cultivar with short shelf life, while multiplying rapidly at 24 °C independently of cultivar. Metagenomic sequencing of the lettuce microbiome revealed that the pre

SUBMITTER: Leonard SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8686551 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature