Long-term survival of pathogenic and sanitation indicator bacteria in experimental biowaste composts

ABSTRACT For economic, agricultural, and environmental reasons, composting is frequently used for organic waste recycling. One approach to limiting the potential risk from bacterial food-borne illnesses is to ensure that soil amendments and organic fertilizers are disinfected. However, more knowledge concerning the microbiological safety of composted substrates other than sludge and manure is necessary. Experimental in-vessel biowaste composts were used to study the survival of seeded Listeria monocytogenes , Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Enteritidis, and Escherichia coli . Four organic waste mixtures, containing various proportions of paper and cardboard, fruits and vegetabl…