---
_id: '12974'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: "BACKGROUND\r\nFruits and vegetables have increasingly been related to foodborne
    outbreaks. Besides surface contamination, a possible internalization of microorganisms
    into edible parts of plants during growth has already been observed. To examine
    an actual risk for the consumer, microbial contamination of the rind and pulp
    of 147 muskmelons from international trade was assessed using cultural and biochemical
    methods, polymerase chain reaction and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time
    of flight mass spectrometry.\r\nRESULTS\r\nOne hundred percent of the rind samples
    [3.69–8.92 log colony forming units (CFU) g−1] and 89.8% of the pulp samples (maximum
    load 3.66 log CFU g−1) were microbiologically contaminated. Among the 432 pulp
    isolates, opportunistic and potentially pathogenic bacteria were identified, mainly
    Staphylococcus spp. (48.9%), Clostridium spp. (42.9%) and Enterobacteriaceae (27.9%).
    Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli and isolates of the Bacillus cereus group were
    found on the rind (1.4%, 0.7% and 42.9%, respectively) and in the pulp (0.7%,
    1.4% and 4.7%). Clostridium perfringens was isolated from the rind of seven melons.\r\nCONCLUSION\r\nThe
    present study revealed a regularly occurring internal contamination of melons.
    Possible health risks for consumers because of an occurrence of microorganisms
    in melon pulp should be considered in future food safety assessments. © 2018 Society
    of Chemical Industry."
author:
- first_name: Irene
  full_name: Esteban‐Cuesta, Irene
  last_name: Esteban‐Cuesta
- first_name: Nathalie
  full_name: Drees, Nathalie
  last_name: Drees
- first_name: Sebastian
  full_name: Ulrich, Sebastian
  id: '85847'
  last_name: Ulrich
  orcid: 0000-0002-4511-9537
- first_name: Peter
  full_name: Stauch, Peter
  last_name: Stauch
- first_name: Brigitte
  full_name: Sperner, Brigitte
  last_name: Sperner
- first_name: Karin
  full_name: Schwaiger, Karin
  last_name: Schwaiger
- first_name: Manfred
  full_name: Gareis, Manfred
  last_name: Gareis
- first_name: Christoph
  full_name: Gottschalk, Christoph
  last_name: Gottschalk
citation:
  ama: 'Esteban‐Cuesta I, Drees N, Ulrich S, et al. Endogenous microbial contamination
    of melons (<i>Cucumis melo</i>) from international trade: an underestimated risk
    for the consumer? <i>Journal of the science of food and agriculture : incorporating
    Agri-Biotech</i>. 2018;98(13):5074-5081. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9045">10.1002/jsfa.9045</a>'
  apa: 'Esteban‐Cuesta, I., Drees, N., Ulrich, S., Stauch, P., Sperner, B., Schwaiger,
    K., Gareis, M., &#38; Gottschalk, C. (2018). Endogenous microbial contamination
    of melons (<i>Cucumis melo</i>) from international trade: an underestimated risk
    for the consumer? <i>Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture : Incorporating
    Agri-Biotech</i>, <i>98</i>(13), 5074–5081. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9045">https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9045</a>'
  bjps: '<b>Esteban‐Cuesta I <i>et al.</i></b> (2018) Endogenous Microbial Contamination
    of Melons (<i>Cucumis Melo</i>) from International Trade: An Underestimated Risk
    for the Consumer? <i>Journal of the science of food and agriculture : incorporating
    Agri-Biotech</i> <b>98</b>, 5074–5081.'
  chicago: 'Esteban‐Cuesta, Irene, Nathalie Drees, Sebastian Ulrich, Peter Stauch,
    Brigitte Sperner, Karin Schwaiger, Manfred Gareis, and Christoph Gottschalk. “Endogenous
    Microbial Contamination of Melons (<i>Cucumis Melo</i>) from International Trade:
    An Underestimated Risk for the Consumer?” <i>Journal of the Science of Food and
    Agriculture : Incorporating Agri-Biotech</i> 98, no. 13 (2018): 5074–81. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9045">https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9045</a>.'
  chicago-de: 'Esteban‐Cuesta, Irene, Nathalie Drees, Sebastian Ulrich, Peter Stauch,
    Brigitte Sperner, Karin Schwaiger, Manfred Gareis und Christoph Gottschalk. 2018.
    Endogenous microbial contamination of melons (<i>Cucumis melo</i>) from international
    trade: an underestimated risk for the consumer? <i>Journal of the science of food
    and agriculture : incorporating Agri-Biotech</i> 98, Nr. 13: 5074–5081. doi:<a
    href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9045">10.1002/jsfa.9045</a>, .'
  din1505-2-1: '<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Esteban‐Cuesta, Irene</span>
    ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Drees, Nathalie</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Ulrich,
    Sebastian</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Stauch, Peter</span>
    ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Sperner, Brigitte</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Schwaiger,
    Karin</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Gareis, Manfred</span> ;
    <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Gottschalk, Christoph</span>: Endogenous
    microbial contamination of melons (<i>Cucumis melo</i>) from international trade:
    an underestimated risk for the consumer? In: <i>Journal of the science of food
    and agriculture : incorporating Agri-Biotech</i> Bd. 98. Chichester, Wiley (2018),
    Nr. 13, S. 5074–5081'
  havard: 'I. Esteban‐Cuesta, N. Drees, S. Ulrich, P. Stauch, B. Sperner, K. Schwaiger,
    M. Gareis, C. Gottschalk, Endogenous microbial contamination of melons (<i>Cucumis
    melo</i>) from international trade: an underestimated risk for the consumer?,
    Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture : Incorporating Agri-Biotech. 98
    (2018) 5074–5081.'
  ieee: 'I. Esteban‐Cuesta <i>et al.</i>, “Endogenous microbial contamination of melons
    (<i>Cucumis melo</i>) from international trade: an underestimated risk for the
    consumer?,” <i>Journal of the science of food and agriculture : incorporating
    Agri-Biotech</i>, vol. 98, no. 13, pp. 5074–5081, 2018, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9045">10.1002/jsfa.9045</a>.'
  mla: 'Esteban‐Cuesta, Irene, et al. “Endogenous Microbial Contamination of Melons
    (<i>Cucumis Melo</i>) from International Trade: An Underestimated Risk for the
    Consumer?” <i>Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture : Incorporating Agri-Biotech</i>,
    vol. 98, no. 13, 2018, pp. 5074–81, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9045">https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9045</a>.'
  short: 'I. Esteban‐Cuesta, N. Drees, S. Ulrich, P. Stauch, B. Sperner, K. Schwaiger,
    M. Gareis, C. Gottschalk, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture : Incorporating
    Agri-Biotech 98 (2018) 5074–5081.'
  ufg: '<b>Esteban‐Cuesta, Irene u. a.</b>: Endogenous microbial contamination of
    melons (<i>Cucumis melo</i>) from international trade: an underestimated risk
    for the consumer?, in: <i>Journal of the science of food and agriculture : incorporating
    Agri-Biotech</i> 98 (2018), H. 13,  S. 5074–5081.'
  van: 'Esteban‐Cuesta I, Drees N, Ulrich S, Stauch P, Sperner B, Schwaiger K, et
    al. Endogenous microbial contamination of melons (<i>Cucumis melo</i>) from international
    trade: an underestimated risk for the consumer? Journal of the science of food
    and agriculture : incorporating Agri-Biotech. 2018;98(13):5074–81.'
date_created: 2025-06-15T10:28:46Z
date_updated: 2025-06-18T11:32:30Z
department:
- _id: DEP4010
doi: 10.1002/jsfa.9045
extern: '1'
intvolume: '        98'
issue: '13'
keyword:
- foodborne pathogens
- Salmonella
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Enterobacteriaceae
- vegetables
language:
- iso: eng
page: 5074-5081
place: Chichester
publication: 'Journal of the science of food and agriculture : incorporating Agri-Biotech'
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1097-0010
  issn:
  - 0022-5142
publication_status: published
publisher: Wiley
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'Endogenous microbial contamination of melons (<i>Cucumis melo</i>) from international
  trade: an underestimated risk for the consumer?'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83781'
volume: 98
year: '2018'
...