UF research yields new insight on spread of E. coli in spinach

September 20, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Conventional wisdom holds that harmful bacteria on fruits and vegetables are the remnants of contamination skulking on the exterior of the plant’s surface—easily washed away by conventional surface sterilization techniques. However, University of Florida microbiology experts believe that the recent rash of spinach-related E. coli infections could instead be linked to swarms of the pathogen lurking on the inside of the leafy greens.

Eric Triplett, chairman of microbiology and cell science with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, has previously shown bacteria that wreak havoc in the human body can peacefully coexist in a plant’s system—and sometimes at levels that can reach 10,000 bacteria cells per gram of vegetable matter. That’s far beyond what is required to make a human very ill when it comes to bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli.

“We need to start rethinking how we sterilize many of our crops,” Triplett said. “Outbreaks like these happen about once a year, and everyone is always left scratching their heads and wondering why.”

Researchers associated with UF’s Emerging Pathogens Initiative are exploring how bacteria coexist in crops and how they can be controlled. Molecular ecologist Max Teplitski is exploring the myriad of chemical interactions by which plants and bacteria interact, while microbiologist Zhonglin Mou is exploring how to soup up plants’ immune systems by adapting their metabolic pathways.

• Eric Triplett, Microbiology , 352-392-5430, ewt@ufl.edu
• Max Teplitski, Molecular Ecology , 352-392-1952, maxtep@ufl.edu
• Zhonglin Mou, Microbiology, 352-392-0285, zhlmou@ufl.edu
• Doug Archer, Food Safety, 352-392-1784, dlarcher@ufl.edu
• Keith Schneider, Food Safety, 352-871-0440, keith29@ufl.edu

For further information, please contact the following media representatives:

• Stu Hutson, Stu@ufl.edu, 617-372-0892 (cell)
• Tom Nordlie, TNordlie@ufl.edu, 352-392-0400