Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella on Inshell California Walnuts

J Food Prot. 2015 Aug;78(8):1547-53. doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-15-001.

Abstract

Inshell walnuts collected from California walnut handlers over four harvests were evaluated for the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. E. coli O157:H7 was not detected in any of 2,903 375-g samples evaluated in 2011, 2012, and 2013 (<0.034% prevalence; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0 to 0.13%). Salmonella was not isolated from any of the 935 samples in 2010 (100 g evaluated; <0.11% prevalence; 95% CI, 0 to 0.41%) but was isolated from 2 of 905 (375 g; 0.22% prevalence; 95% CI, 0.061 to 0.80%), 1 of 998 (375 g; 0.10% prevalence; 95% CI, 0.018 to 0.56%), and 1 of 1,000 (375 g; 0.10% prevalence; 95% CI, 0.018 to 0.56%) samples in 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively, for an average annual prevalence of 0.14% (375 g; 95% CI, 0.054 to 0.35%). The levels of Salmonella in positive samples determined by a modified most-probable-number (MPN) method were estimated to be 0.32 to 0.42 MPN/100 g (95% CI, 0.045 to 3.6 MPN/100 g).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • California
  • Escherichia coli O157 / growth & development
  • Escherichia coli O157 / isolation & purification*
  • Food Contamination / analysis
  • Food Microbiology
  • Juglans / microbiology*
  • Salmonella / growth & development
  • Salmonella / isolation & purification*
  • Serotyping