Incidence of microbial flora in lettuce, meat and Spanish potato omelette from restaurants

A total of 370 samples including lettuce, meats (beef, pork and chicken) and Spanish potato omelette from restaurants were studied to evaluate the incidence of Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7,Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp.,Yersinia enterocolitica, enterococci and some micro-organisms that can cause spoilage orcan be usedas indicators for food safety. Escherichia coliand enterococci were harboured with the highest incidence in lettuce, whereas incidence of Staphylococcus aureus was higherin meat than in the other foods studied. Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella pneumoniaewere isolated from the three food groups. Chryseomonas luteola, Enterobacter sakazakii, Klebsiella ozaenae, Moraxella spp. and Serratia odorifera were isolated from lettuce, whilst Providencia spp. were detectedonlyinbeef.Salmonellaspp.,E.coliO157:H7orYersiniaenterocoliticawere not isolatedfrom any of the raw or ‘ready-to-eat’samples analysed. # 2001 Academic Press

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