Foodborne illness due to the consumption of contaminated raw or lightly cooked sprouts is a continuing food safety concern. Researchers tested several plant-associated pseudomonads for their ability to inhibit the growth of Salmonella enterica both in vitro and in situ. The results were published in the Journal of Food Protection.
Only Pseudomonas fluorescens 2-79 produced clear zones of inhibition when tested against five serovars of S. enterica, and activity was dependent on media type and serovar.
Time course studies indicated that S. enterica outgrowth was controlled on days 1 through 6 of sprouting. Competitive exclusion as a potential food safety intervention for seed sprouts merits further study.