TABLE 1.

Overall mean populations of Salmonella enterica and EHEC recovered at different sampling points during germination and from different types and tissue sections of sprouts/seedlings

Sampling	Mean population (log CFU/g)a
	BSA or NASMACb	NATSAc
Salmonella
Trial (n = 256 each)
1	2.79 A	3.00 A
2	2.78 A	2.95 A
Germination day
9 (n = 128)	3.20 A	3.57 A
7 (n = 128)	3.19 A	3.40 A
5 (n = 128)	3.13 A	3.30 A
3 (n = 96)	1.63 B	1.67 B
1 (n = 32)	1.45 B	1.48 B
Strain (n = 128 each)
S. Stanley	3.09 A	3.52 A
S. Baildon	3.30 A	3.37 A
S. Cubana	3.16 A	3.24 A
S. Montevideo	1.55 B	1.75 B
Tissue sections of sprouts/seedlings
Cotyledon (n = 96)	3.63 A	3.82 A
Seed coat (n = 96)	3.52 A	3.80 A
Root (n = 128)	2.69 B	2.96 B
Seed coat/cotyledon (n = 32)	2.11 B,C	2.13 C
Stem (n = 128)	2.17 C	2.30 C
Pregerminated seeds (n = 32)	1.45 D	1.48 D
Vegetable seed type (n = 128 each)
Fenugreek	4.08 A	4.36 A
Alfalfa	4.21 A	4.30 A
Tomato	1.47 B	1.68 B
Lettuce	1.35 B	1.55 B
EHEC
Trial (n = 256 each)
1	1.60 A	1.93 A
2	1.54 A	1.89 A
Germination day
9 (n = 128)	2.30 A	2.91 A
7 (n = 128)	1.76 B	2.27 B
5 (n = 128)	1.43 B	1.54 C
3 (n = 96)	1.11 B,C	1.15 C,D
1 (n = 32)	0.88 C	1.03 D
Strain (n = 128 each)
E. coli K4492	1.70 A	1.91 A
E. coli H1730	1.72 A	1.93 A
E. coli BAA-2326	1.49 A,B	1.90 A
E. coli F4546	1.37 B	1.91 A
Tissue sections of sprouts/seedlings
Cotyledon (n = 96)	1.83 A	2.19 A
Seed coat/cotyledon (n = 32)	1.66 A	2.18 A,B
Seed coat (n = 96)	1.67 A	1.95 A,B
Root (n = 128)	1.53 AB	1.85 A,B
Stem (n = 128)	1.44 AB	1.68 B
Pregerminated seeds (n = 32)	1.11 B	1.15 C
Vegetable seed type (n = 128 each)
Alfalfa	3.31 A	3.70 A
Fenugreek	1.93 B	2.27 B
Lettuce	0.67 C	1.54 C
Tomato	0.38 C	1.15 D

^aMean populations of the same bacterial pathogen within a column and the same comparative category that are not followed by the same letter are significantly different (P < 0.05).

^bBSA, bismuth sulfite agar; NASMAC, sorbitol MacConkey agar supplemented with nalidixic acid.

^cNATSA, tryptic soy agar supplemented with nalidixic acid.