This study was conducted to investigate the effects of aerosolized malic acid and ultraviolet light (UV‐C) for inhibiting the growth of foodborne pathogens, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes, on fresh‐cut lettuce. The antimicrobial effects of aerosolized 2% malic acid and UV‐C, alone or in combination, were tested. Ten grams of lettuce were inoculated with three strains of each pathogens and treated with aerosolized malic acid for 20 min and UV‐C for 30 min. After each treatment, lettuce was stored at 5 °C for 15 days. Sequential treatment (aerosolized malic acid after UV‐C) was the most effective for reducing E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes and resulted in reduction of 2.89, 1.38, and 2.95 log10 CFU/g after treatment and 3.15, 3.00, and 4.58 log10 CFU/g after 15 days, respectively. These results suggested that combined treatment with aerosolized malic acid after UV‐C can be a useful intervention method for improving the microbial safety of fresh‐cut produce. Practical applications The experiment suggested new method on the inactivation of foodborne pathogens on lettuce. Treatment with aerosolized 2% malic acid after UV‐C was the most effective method to inhibit the growth of foodborne pathogens in this study. This method will be helpful for fresh‐cut lettuce producers to manage the safety and quality of lettuce.

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