Evaluation of the strain variability of Salmonella enterica acid and heat resistance

► The acid (pH 3.0) and heat (57 °C) resistances of 60 Salmonella enterica strains were assessed. ► The inactivation rates (kacid, kheat) were estimated for each one of the strains. ► The strain variability of kacid was considerably higher than that of kheat. ► No correlation was observed between the estimated kacid and kheat values. ► No trends related to origin, serotype or antibiotic resistance profile were evident.