Occurrence and Levels of Salmonella, Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, and Listeria in Raw Wheat.

HIGHLIGHTS: Prevalence of Salmonella and E. coli in raw wheat emphasizes the need to cook wheat products. 3,891 grain samples were tested for E. coli and Salmonella; 1,285 were tested for Listeria. Of wheat berries sampled, 0.44% were positive for E. coli and 1.23% were positive for Salmonella. Salmonella diversity was high, indicating various animal sources that are difficult to prevent. Cooking wheat products is the best preventative measure against foodborne illness from wheat.