Survey of Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Foods

Authors: Gombas D.E.; Chen Y.; Clavero R.S.; Scott V.N.

Source: Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 66, Number 4, 1 April 2003 , pp. 559-569(11)

Publisher: International Association for Food Protection

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Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to develop data on the risk of listeriosis to support a science-based strategy for addressing Listeria monocytogenes in foods in the United States. Eight categories of ready-to-eat foods were collected over 14 to 23 months from retail markets at Maryland and northern California FoodNet sites. The product categories included luncheon meats, deli salads, fresh soft ''Hispanic-style'' cheeses, bagged salads, blue-veined and soft mold-ripened cheeses, smoked seafood, and seafood salads. The presence and levels of L. monocytogenes in the samples were determined by rapid DNAbased assays in combination with culture methods. Of 31,705 samples tested, 577 were positive. The overall prevalence was 1.82%, with prevalences ranging from 0.17 to 4.7% among the product categories. L. monocytogenes levels in the positive samples varied from <0.3 MPN (most probable number) per g to 1.5 × 105 CFU/g, with 402 samples having levels of <0.3 MPN/g, 21 samples having levels of >102 CFU/g, and the rest of the samples having intermediate levels. No obvious trends with respect to seasonality were observed. Significant differences (P< 0.05) between the sampling sites were found, with higher prevalences for threes categories in northern California and for two categories in Maryland. Significantly (P< 0.001) higher prevalences were found for in-store-packaged samples than for manufacturer-packaged samples of luncheon meats, deli salads, and seafood salads, while 16 of the 21 samples with higher counts were manufacturer packaged. The data collected in this study help to fill gaps in the knowledge about the occurrence of L. monocytogenes in foods, and this new information should be useful in the assessment of the risk posed by L. monocytogenes to consumers.

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: National Food Processors Association, 1350 I Street N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20005, USA

Publication date: 2003-04-01

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First published in 1937, the Journal of Food Protection^®, is a refereed monthly publication. Each issue contains scientific research and authoritative review articles reporting on a variety of topics in food science pertaining to food safety and quality. The Journal is internationally recognized as the leading publication in the field of food microbiology with a readership exceeding 11,000 scientists from 70 countries. The Journal of Food Protection^® is indexed in Index Medicus, Current Contents, BIOSIS, PubMed, Medline, and many others.

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Survey of Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Foods

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