{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T19:01:18Z","timestamp":1790362878634,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,21]],"date-time":"2024-10-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1729468800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA)","award":["QU-APC-2024-9\/1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["QU-APC-2024-9\/1"]}]},{"name":"Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at Qassim University","award":["QU-APC-2024-9\/1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["QU-APC-2024-9\/1"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Vegetables are an essential component of a balanced diet. The consumption of ready-to-eat foods may lead to the risk of infections and illnesses due to microbial contamination. To mitigate the potential of microbial contamination risks, it is critical to promote safe handling practices among consumers. In this study, our research evaluated the efficacy of different vegetable washing methods, specifically with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber, to establish optimal practices for reducing microbial contamination. This study consisted of two phases. Initially, a survey was distributed to 150 volunteers using snowball sampling to assess everyday vegetable handling and washing methods. The survey\u2019s results identified four predominant methods: washing with a 5% vinegar solution for 3 min followed by tap water rinse (37.3% of participants), rinsing with tap water for 1 min (29.3%), washing with a 5% salt solution (vegetable soap) for 3 min followed by a tap water rinse (16.6%), and a 3 min tap water rinse (14%). A minor segment (3.33%) reported not washing their vegetables at all. The survey\u2019s findings guided the second phase, which tested the aforementioned washing protocols\u2019 effectiveness in reducing Escherichia coli (E. coli) levels on spiked contaminated salad vegetables. The tested vegetables were sterilized using UV light, inoculated with 0.5 McFarland E. coli, and then washed using the four identified methods. After that, E. coli enumeration after washing was performed using 3M\u2122 Petrifilm and the comparison was analyzed via one-way ANOVA. During this study, it was revealed that the cucumbers had the highest E. coli contamination levels in comparison to the lettuce and tomato after washing. Interestingly, by comparing the three washing methods, it was found that washing the vegetables with vinegar proved to be the most effective solution for reducing microbial presence on both lettuce and cucumbers. Notably, the natural smoothness of tomato skin led to no significant differences in contamination levels across washing methods. In summary, vinegar washing effectively reduces microbial contamination from salad vegetables, highlighting the need for informed consumer practices to prevent foodborne outbreaks. This study emphasizes the importance of monitoring contamination sources and using safe washing techniques.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms12102103","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,21]],"date-time":"2024-10-21T06:35:00Z","timestamp":1729492500000},"page":"2103","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Impact of Various Washing Protocols on the Mitigation of Escherichia coli Contamination in Raw Salad Vegetables"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Fahad M.","family":"Alreshoodi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bassam","family":"Alsuliman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Norah M.","family":"Alotaibi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0908-7141","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Afnan","family":"Althobaiti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lenah E.","family":"Mukhtar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sarah","family":"Alsaleh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdullah A.","family":"Alajlan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Saleh I.","family":"Alakeel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5827-6040","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fahad M.","family":"Alshabrmi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2811-220X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tarique","family":"Sarwar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8840-6931","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sulaiman M.","family":"Alajel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2020, April 29). 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