Efficacy of benzyl isothiocyanate for controlling Salmonella on alfalfa seeds and sprouts

The efficacy of benzyl isothiocyanate (BIT), a compound found in cruciferous vegetables, for controlling Salmonella on alfalfa seeds and sprouts was investigated. Alfalfa seeds were inoculated by individual Salmonella enterica serotypes Newport, Typhimurium, Tennessee, Montevideo, or Braenderup at two inoculation levels of 3 or 5 log CFU g(-1), followed by treatment with BIT (0.5-2%) or chlorine (2%) for 15 min. Treated seeds were sprouted in seed sprouters. Surviving Salmonella populations on the seeds and sprouts were determined. At both inoculum levels, 1.5% and 2% of BIT significantly reduced populations S. Typhimurium and S. Braenderup on seeds to a level comparable to the chlorine-treated seeds. Salmonella populations recovered from the sprouts germinated from 1.5% or 2% BIT-treated seeds were significantly lower than the control and chlorine-treated seeds at both inoculum levels (P < 0.05). The results of the study indicate that BIT can be used to control Salmonella contamination on alfalfa seeds and subsequent sprouting process.