Survival of Salmonella hadar after washing disinfection of minimally processed spinach.

Washing disinfection with chlorine is widely used to reduce the initial microbiological load during the preparation of minimally processed vegetables. The effects of initial concentration of chlorine, time and the liquid volume:produce weight ratio on the reduction of Salmonella counts on inoculated spinach were evaluated using response surface methodology. Initial chlorine concentration, time and the interaction between them had a significant effect on reduction of Salmonella populations. However, the liquid volume:produce weight ratio did not have significant effects. The highest Salmonella reduction was around 1.2-1.4 log at 125 ppm during 8 min regardless of the water:produce ratio. According to the results, chlorination reduced Salmonella hadar population, but the complete elimination from the produce was not achieved.