In the first of an educational series of articles designed to help food safety professionals get the upper hand on cross-contamination in their facility, we take a look at Listeria and the problems it causes in the food processing environment. To request the entire article, follow the link below.
Fighting Listeria in a Food Processing Facility
Introduction
Since entering the consciousness of public health authorities and consumers in the 1980s, Listeria monocytogenes has befuddled and bedeviled processors across the food industry. While refrigeration temperatures can stymie the growth of many disease causing organisms, L. monocytogenes – a bacteria which is widespread throughout nature – can thrive in the wet and cold conditions found in ready-to-eat (RTE) processing facilities.
Historically, L. monocytogenes has been associated with a long list of products including raw milk, cheeses (particularly soft-ripened varieties), ice cream, raw vegetables, fermented raw-meat sausages, raw and cooked poultry, raw meats (all types), and raw and smoked fish. (1). In more recent times, L. monocytogenes contamination has been documented in a diverse range of products such as frozen fruits and vegetables, walnuts, hard boiled eggs, and hummus. L. monocytogenes causes nearly 1,600 illnesses annually in the United States and is responsible for more than 1,400 hospitalizations and 250 deaths (2).
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To discuss strategies for reducing the risk of Listeria in your facility using Best Sanitizers Inc. products and solutions, contact your account representative, or call Best Sanitizers at 888-225-3267.
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