The purpose of this study was to inactivate Salmonella Typhimurium on alfalfa seeds without having
negative effect on seed germination. Inoculated alfalfa seeds were treated with dry heat at 60, 70 or 80 C
for 0, 12, 18 or 24 h followed by 2% hydrogen peroxide solution (10 min). Populations of Salmonella on
alfalfa seeds treated with dry heat alone (60, 70 or 80 C) for up to 24 h were reduced by 0.26
e2.76 log CFU/g, and sequential treatment with dry heat and H2O2 reduced populations by 1.66
e3.60 log CFU/g. The germination percentage of seeds subjected to sequential treatments was signifi-
cantly enhanced to up to 97%, whereas that of untreated seeds was only 79.5%. This study suggests that
sequential treatment with dry heat and hydrogen peroxide is applicable for reducing levels of Salmonella
on seeds while simultaneously enhancing seeds germinability.