Evaluation of Hygiene Indicators and Foodborne Pathogens in Commercial Plant-Based Food Products

The rapid growth of plant-based foods has increased the need to assess their microbiological safety and quality. This study investigated hygiene indicators and selected foodborne pathogens in 100 commercial plant-based ready-to-eat and minimally processed products collected from retail outlets in northern Portugal between March and June 2025. Samples were tested for Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), as well as total viable counts (TVC), Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, and coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS). None of the samples tested positive for the three investigated pathogens, corresponding to an observed proportion of 0% (95% CI: 0.0–3.6%). Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, and CPS were detected in 6%, 3%, and 1% of samples, respectively. Most products showed satisfactory microbiological quality. Higher TVC levels were mainly found in fermented and extended shelf-life refrigerated products; however, these counts should be interpreted according to product category and processing characteristics. Borderline or unsatisfactory hygiene indicator results were mainly observed in fermented and nut-based cheese or spread alternatives, particularly cashew-based products. Overall, no evidence of contamination by the investigated foodborne pathogens was found among the products analyzed. However, the detection of hygiene indicators in a small number of samples highlights the need for continued monitoring and good manufacturing practices. These findings provide preliminary retail-level data on the microbiological quality of plant-based foods sampled in northern Portugal and support category-specific interpretation of microbiological results.