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17.04.2018 - Microbiology

Microbiological Contamination of Human Pathogens in the Food Chain: Lettuce

Vegetables and fruits, along with cereal products, are by far the most important plant-based foods in Germany. In recent years, an increase in the consumption of many types of vegetables, especially ready-to-eat ones such as mixed and pre-cut salads, has been observed. Reasons for this include improved storage, leading to better and longer product availability.

So far, the microbiological contamination of such products has primarily been investigated and analyzed at the trading level. A complete mapping of the product chain from field to trade does not currently exist for mixed/pre-cut salads.
The research project funded by the QS Science Fund and conducted by the Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology at the Max Rubner-Institute in Kiel aims to identify and close existing knowledge gaps about the routes of entry and occurrence of human-pathogenic microorganisms in the salad supply chain, in collaboration with a salad manufacturer. We routinely perform this microbiological investigation in our laboratory. We provide you with quick and reliable results.

Simultaneously, it is being investigated whether decontamination using bacteriophages is a suitable method for reducing pathogenic bacteria in the wash water of mixed/pre-cut salads.

For questions, our customer advisors are very happy to assist you.

Source: Max Rubner-Institute