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Post-Harvest UV-C Treatment of Microgreens for Inactivation of Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes
There is a high risk of transfer of foodborne pathogens to the edible part of microgreens when seeds, irrigation water or soilless substrates are contamina
Sefa Işık, Bülent Çeti̇n, Juan Moreira, Zeynal Topalcengiz
Foods · 2026 · https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15060974
Abstract
There is a high risk of transfer of foodborne pathogens to the edible part of microgreens when seeds, irrigation water or soilless substrates are contaminated. Post-harvest sanitizer treatments are generally not preferred due to the fragility of microgreens. In this study, the effectiveness of post-harvest UV-C treatment was evaluated against Salmonella enterica, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes in sunflower and radish microgreens. Agricultural perlite soaked with plant nutrient solution was artificially contaminated with foodborne pathogens at a concentration of 105–106 CFU/g to serve as the soilless substrate. UV-C was applied to harvested microgreens uni- and bidirectionally with doubled exposure at varying distances (10, 20, and 30 cm) and exposure times (5, 10, 20, 30, 60, and 120 s). UV-C doses ranged from 0.03 to 2.07 kJ/m2, depending on treatment distance and exposure time. The survival of pathogens in treated microgreens was also determined at 4 °C for 14 days. The highest pathogen inhibition was achieved with bidirectional UV-C treatment at a 10 cm distance for 120 s (p < 0.05), yielding reductions of up to 3.1, 3.0, and 2.0 log CFU/g for S. enterica, E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocytogenes, respectively. Pathogen inhibition decreased significantly with increasing distance (p < 0.05). During subsequent refrigerated storage after UV-C treatment, pathogen populations increased by 0.3–1.7 log CFU/g. These results demonstrate that UV-C treatment can significantly reduce pathogen populations on microgreens as a post-harvest treatment strategy but cannot fully address food safety concerns about these immature seedlings.
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How to credit this work
Sefa Işık; Bülent Çeti̇n; Juan Moreira; Zeynal Topalcengiz (2026). Post-Harvest UV-C Treatment of Microgreens for Inactivation of Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. Foods. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15060974 Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Hosted by EVEC Athens (microgreens.org.gr). No changes were made to this article. Provided as-is, without warranties. EVEC Athens is not affiliated with, and this copy is not endorsed by, the authors or the publisher.
Explore this on our site
- How to grow it: Chia microgreens — growing guide
- How to grow it: Radish microgreens — growing guide
- How to grow it: Sunflower microgreens — growing guide
- Related reading: International sanitary guidelines for the planting and distribution of microgreens and sprouts
- Related reading: Extending the shelf life of microgreens
- Related reading: Microgreens vs mature versions
- Related reading: The antioxidant capacity of radish microgreens
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