Recent multistate outbreaks of salmonellosis associated with fresh cucumbers underscore the importance of understanding Salmonella behavior on cucumbers under different conditions. This study developed mathematical models to predict the survival of four-strain cocktail of Salmonella on whole cucumbers at different temperature and relative humidity (RH) conditions. The strains were Salmonella Newport H1275 and Stanley H0558 (sprout outbreaks), Montevideo G4639 (tomato outbreak), and Saintpaul 02-517-1 (cantaloupe outbreak). Inoculated cucumbers were placed in desiccators containing saturated salt solution to create controlled RH environments (~15, 50, 100% RH) at 7, 14, and 21 °C, and enumerated at time intervals ranging from 0 to 240 h. Predictive models were developed using Baranyi and Roberts equation as a primary model and estimated kinetic parameters were fitted into a polynomial equation for secondary models. Reduced model polynomial equations which describe the maximum death rate and the log reduction of Salmonella on whole cucumber as a function of temperature and RH had high R² values (>0.95). Validation results verified the performance and reliability of the predictive models. The models in this study will be useful for future microbial risk assessments and predictions of Salmonella behavior in the cucumbers to manage the risk of Salmonella on whole cucumbers.

最近与新鲜黄瓜相关的多州沙门氏菌病爆发强调了了解沙门氏菌在不同条件下对黄瓜的行为的重要性。本研究开发了数学模型来预测四株沙门氏菌混合物在不同温度和相对湿度 (RH) 条件下在整根黄瓜上的存活率。菌株是沙门氏菌Newport H1275 和 Stanley H0558（发芽爆发）、蒙得维的亚 G4639（番茄爆发）和 Saintpaul 02-517-1（哈密瓜爆发）。将接种的黄瓜置于含有饱和盐溶液的干燥器中，以在 7、14 和 21 °C 下创建受控的 RH 环境（~15、50、100% RH），并以 0 至 240 小时的时间间隔进行计数。使用 Baranyi 和 Roberts 方程作为主要模型开发了预测模型，并将估计的动力学参数拟合到二次模型的多项式方程中。描述最大死亡率和整个黄瓜上沙门氏菌对数减少作为温度和相对湿度的函数的简化模型多项式方程具有高 R ²值 (>0.95)。验证结果验证了预测模型的性能和可靠性。本研究中的模型将有助于未来微生物风险评估和黄瓜中沙门氏菌行为的预测，以管理整个黄瓜上沙门氏菌的风险。