Aggregative Swab Sampling Method for Romaine Lettuce Show Similar Quality and Safety Indicators and Microbial Profiles Compared to Composite Produce Leaf Samples in a Pilot Study

Composite produce leaf samples from commercial production rarely test positive for pathogens, potentially due to low pathogen prevalence or the relatively small number of plants sampled. Aggregative sampling may offer a more representative alternative. This pilot study investigated whether aggregative swab samples performed similarly to produce leaf samples in their ability to recover quality indicators (APCs and coliforms), detect <i>Escherichia coli</i>, and recover representative microbial profiles. Aggregative swabs of the outer leaves of romaine plants (<i>n</i> = 12) and composite samples consisting of various grabs of produce leaves (<i>n</i> = 14) were collected from 60 by 28 ft sections of a one-acre commercial romaine lettuce field. Aerobic plate counts were 9.17 ± 0.43 and 9.21 ± 0.42 log(CFU/g) for produce leaf samples and swabs, respectively. Means and variance were not significantly different (<i>p</i> = 0.38 and <i>p</i> = 0.92, respectively). Coliform recoveries were 3.80 ± 0.76 and 4.19 ± 1.15 log(CFU/g) for produce leaf and swabs, respectively. Means and variances were not significantly different (<i>p</i> = 0.30 and <i>p</i> = 0.16, respectively). Swabs detected generic <i>E. coli</i> in 8 of 12 samples, more often than produce leaf samples (3 of 14 positive, Fisher's <i>p</i> = 0.045). Full-length 16S rRNA microbial profiling revealed that swab and produce leaf samples did not show significantly different alpha diversities (<i>p</i> = 0.75) and had many of the most prevalent bacterial taxa in common and in similar abundances. These data suggest that aggregative swabs perform similarly to, if not better than, produce leaf samples in recovering indicators of quality (aerobic and coliform bacteria) and food safety (<i>E. coli</i>), justifying further method development and validation.