Adhesion to and Viability of Listeria monocytogenes on Food Contact Surfaces

Authors: Silva, Sónia; Teixeira, Pilar; Oliveira, Rosário; Azeredo, Joana

Source: Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 71, Number 7, July 2008 , pp. 1379-1385(7)

Publisher: International Association for Food Protection

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $37.00 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

Listeria monocytogenes is an important pathogen responsible for major outbreaks associated with food products. Adhesion to surfaces leads to significant modifications in cell physiology. The aim of this work was to determine the adhesion ability of 10 isolates of L. monocytogenes to eight materials commonly used in kitchens and to evaluate the viability of the adhered cells. The materials assayed were stainless steel 304, marble, granite, glass, polypropylene from a bowl and from a cutting board, and two kinds of silestone. All L. monocytogenes strains attached to all surfaces, although to different extents. L. monocytogenes adhered most tightly to granite and marble, followed by stainless steel 304, glass, silestones, and finally polypropylene surfaces. Surfaces at the threshold between hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity, with high electron acceptor capability and a regular pattern of roughness, were more prone to attachment. Polypropylene surfaces displayed the highest percentage of viable bacteria (nearly 100%), whereas marble and granite had a lower percentage of cultivable cells, 69.5 and 78.7%, respectively. The lowest percentage of culturable bacteria was found on white silestone (18.5%). These results indicate that there are differences in adhered cell viability on different materials. Cell viability assays are important to better understand the cross-contamination process because only adhered bacteria that remain viable are responsible for postprocess contamination.

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal

Publication date: 2008-07-01

More about this publication?

IAFP members must first sign in on the right to access full text articles of JFP

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.

Print and online subscriptions are available to Members and Institutional subscribers. Online visitors who are not IAFP Members or journal subscribers will be charged on a pay-per-view basis. Information can be obtained by calling +1 800.369.6337; +1 515.276.3344; fax: +1 515.276.8655, E-mail: info@foodprotection.org or Web site: www.foodprotection.org
Information for Authors
Submit a Paper
Subscribe to this Title
Membership Information
Information for Advertisers
ingentaconnect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites

Adhesion to and Viability of Listeria monocytogenes on Food Contact Surfaces

Buy & download fulltext article:

Tools

Key

Text size:

Useful pages