FIG 2.

Inactivation of nonadapted (a) and acid-adapted (b) Escherichia coli O157:H7 cells treated with 0.05 to 0.4% phytic acid alone, 2 to 4% sodium chloride alone, a combination of the two, or combinations of sodium chloride plus other organic acids (acetic, citric, lactic, and malic acid) at 0.4% (wt/wt). The gray panels represent combinations of sodium chloride and phytic acid. Initial nonadapted and acid-adapted E. coli O157:H7 populations were 7.13 ± 0.02 log CFU/ml and 7.02 ± 0.06 log CFU/ml, respectively. Values in the same panel but denoted by different capital letters (A to H) are significantly different (P < 0.05).