Objective: Salmonella spp. are gram-negative bacteria in Enterobacteriaceae family. Salmonella spp. are harmful if they are found in food that is cooked or raw products.; since it is not thermally resistant, it indicates post-heat treatment contamination or inadequate heat treatment, as this pathogen is not thermally resistant. In this study, the presence of Salmonella spp. in ready-to-eat doner kebabs, salads and packaged doner kebabs sold in markets in Kars province was investigated.

Methods: The causative agents were analyzed by conventional methods (culture followed by phenotypic analysis) and molecular methods based on invA gene and oriC gene (PCR and Sanger sequencing).

Results: The examination using conventional methods yielded a total of 10 Salmonella spp.-suspect isolates: Five from ready-to-eat doner kebabs, three from salads, and two from packed doner kebabs. Molecular analyses revealed that four (3.3%) of the isolates were Hafnia paralvei, three (2.5%) were Citrobacter portucalensis, two (1.6%) were Citrobacter braakii and one was (0.8%) Hafnia alvei.

Conclusion: Findings indicate that these types of food prepared for human consumption does not has a risk in terms of Salmonella spp., but contamination from non-pathogenic species of the Enterobacteriaceae family. The lack of isolated Salmonella species in the samples does not ensure that the food is secure from infections; pathogens may still provide a risk, necessitating vigilance in hygiene and sanitation to avert infection. Due to many common phenotypic characteristics, errors in the identification of Enterobacteriaceae members can be eliminated by the integration of molecular tests. It is recommended to implement strict hygiene controls in production processes in order to prevent contamination and minimize public health risks in products such as doner kebab and salad.