Salmonella and generic E. coli prevalence in meat and produce sold at farmers markets in Northern California.

As the number of farmers' markets and other direct-to-consumer marketing channels increases, it is crucial to understand the potential risks associated with consuming directly marketed animal products and fresh produce. The overall aim of this project was to assess the prevalence of Salmonella and generic E. coli in animal products and produce sold at farmers' markets in Northern California, allowing for the evaluation of food safety risks associated with consuming meat (e.g., beef, pork, and poultry) and fresh produce purchased from farmers' markets. Animal products and produce were purchased from a total of 44 certified farmers' markets in Northern California. Animal products and produce samples demonstrated a Salmonella spp. prevalence of 1.8% (6/338) and 0% (0/128), respectively, and a generic E. coli prevalence of 31.3% (40/128) for fresh produce. Generic E. coli was quantified using Most Probable Number (MPN). Generic E. coli concentration in produce ranged from zero to 2.96, with an overall average of 0.13 log 10 (MPN+1)/100ml. Salmonella isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid and tetracycline. The results from this study highlight the need for further training on mitigation strategies to reduce contamination of animal products and fresh produce by foodborne pathogens.