The table shows the pH ranges that support the growth of different bacteria.

Question

What happens to these organisms at a pH of 3.7?

Bacteria	pH range
Salmonella	3.6–9.5
Listeria monocytogenes	4.2–9.6
Escherichia coli	4.3–9.0
 a
Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli do not grow.
 b
Listeria monocytogenes grows. Salmonella and Escherichia coli do not grow.
 c
Escherichia coli grows. Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella do not grow.
 d
Salmonella grows. Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli do not grow.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

To analyze what happens to the different bacteria at a pH of 3.7:

Salmonella: Has a pH range of 3.6–9.5, so it can grow at pH 3.7.
Listeria monocytogenes: Has a pH range of 4.2–9.6, so it cannot grow at pH 3.7.
Escherichia coli: Has a pH range of 4.3–9.0, so it cannot grow at pH 3.7.

Given this information, the correct answer is:

b Listeria monocytogenes grows. Salmonella and Escherichia coli do not grow.

This assessment aligns with the pH ranges of the different bacteria. Salmonella can grow, while both Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli cannot. Therefore, the previous answer was incorrect.

To summarize:

Salmonella: Can grow (3.6–9.5)
Listeria monocytogenes: Cannot grow (4.2–9.6)
Escherichia coli: Cannot grow (4.3–9.0)

Thus, the correct answer is:

b: Listeria monocytogenes grows. Salmonella and Escherichia coli do not grow.