Molecular Detection of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium in Ready-to-Eat Vegetable Salads Consumed in Restaurants of Tabriz, North-West of Iran

Background: In recent years, food-borne outbreaks have been increased by consumption of raw fruits and vegetables contaminated with bacterial pathogens like Salmonella spp. in many countries. This study was designed in order to molecular detection of Salmonella in Ready-to-Eat Vegetable Salad (REVS) consumed in restaurants of Tabriz, North-West of Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 90 REVS samples were randomly collected from five different areas of the Tabriz, Iran from February to June 2016. The presence of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction technique. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 19.0. Results: Out of 90 REVS samples, 4 (4.44%) were found to be positive with S. enterica serovar Typhimurium. There was no significant difference between S. enetrica serovar Typhimurium prevalence in various areas (p>0.05). Conclusion: This survey showed that REVS consumed in restaurants of Tabriz, Iran may have public health risk in terms of presence of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium; so, it is required to improve the food safety standards in this area. Next investigations should be done to find the antimicrobial susceptibility of the identified isolates.