Microbial Evaluation of Vegetable Ingredients in Salad Bars .

Vegetable salad ingredients (lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower) purchased from three grocery-store deli operations were analyzed for total plate count, coliforms, yeasts, and molds. The temperature of the vegetable ingredients was measured at the time of purchase and the pH was measured on all samples within one-half hour after purchase. In the second phase, fresh broccoli was processed into florets, inoculated with E.