In a study by Yaun et al., (2004), the populations of Salmonella
on inoculated tomatoes, which were obtained from a local
distributor,were reduced by 2.19 log CFU/tomato when a maximum
UV-C dose of 24 mJ/cm2 was applied. Sommers et al., (2010) reported
that Salmonella spp. inoculated on the surface of Roma tomatoes
(maturity level not mentioned) were inactivated by 3.1 log
CFU/g at a dose of 500 mJ/cm2. A higher log reduction, 3.8 log CFU/
g, was obtained when UV-C dose of 4000 mJ/cm2 was used. The
authors stated that the higher log reductions were below the
detection limit. Song, Choi, and Song (2011) found that UV-C at 5 kJ/
m2 (500 mJ/cm2) significantly decreased S. Typhimurium on light
red cherry tomatoes by 2.58 logs. Yun, Yan, Fan, Gurtler, and Phillips
(2013) reported an initial decrease of 1e2 logs of E. coli O157:H7
and Salmonella on contaminated apricots after treatment with UVC
and noted that surviving populations decreased at a faster rate
than non-UV exposed populations. Bermudez-Aguire & Barbosa-
Canovas (2013) found that inactivation of E. coli varied depending
on the type of contaminated produce that was exposed to UV-C
with the greatest reduction noted on the smooth surface of tomatoes.
Williams et al., (2012) showed that combining pulsed UV
treatments with sanitizers enhanced the reduction in Salmonella
contamination on tomatoes. Hadjok, Mittal, and Warriner (2008)
used UV light in combination with hydrogen peroxide to reduce
Salmonella on fresh produce surfaces by at least 4 logs and internalized
Salmonella by at least 2.8 logs.