Comparison of the adhesion ability of different Salmonella enteritidis serotypes to materials used in kitchens

Contamination of kitchen surfaces due to bacteria present in foodstuffs is one of the main causes of foodborne outbreaks. Salmonella infections are an important cause of foodborne disease, and Salmonella Enteritidis is the most common isolate in the past few years. In this study, the adhesion ability of four Salmonella Enteritidis isolates to different materials (polyethylene, polypropylene, and granite) used in kitchens was compared. The results indicated that the two plastic materials were generally less prone to colonization than was the granite. As surface properties of both bacteria and materials are a determinant in the adhesion process, surface hydrophobicity was determined through contact angle measurement, and the roughness of the materials was evaluated through the R(a) and R(z) values by a noncontact laser stylus tracing. The four Salmonella strains showed similar degrees of hydrophilicity, while the materials were hydrophobic, with granite having a very low degree of hydrophobicity (deltaG(lwl) = -4.7 mJ/m2). However, the different extents of adhesion could not be explained in terms of surface hydrophobicity and roughness of the materials tested. The main conclusion to be drawn is that Salmonella adhesion is strongly strain dependent, despite the similar degree of hydrophobicity displayed by all the strains assayed, and this can constitute a factor of virulence among the different serotypes.