“…Salmonella enterica is one of the most common human pathogens found in fresh produce ( Bennett et al, 2018 ; Melotto et al, 2020 ). Previously, plants were thought to be passive vectors for human pathogens, but recent studies showed that S. enterica can induce plant defense responses ( Meng et al, 2013 ; Garcia and Hirt, 2014 ; Melotto et al, 2014 ; Oblessuc et al, 2020 ). Intriguingly, although the mechanism is not fully understood, this bacterium can overcome plant defense ( Roy et al, 2013 ; Wahlig et al, 2019 ) and survive for weeks inside diverse plants species, including lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) ( Islam et al, 2004 ; Kroupitski et al, 2009 , 2011 ; Jechalke et al, 2019 ; Roy and Melotto, 2019 ).…”