Ecology of Listeria monocytogenes in the environment of raw poultry meat and raw pork meat processing plants

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 210; no. 2; pp. 271 - 275
• Main Authors: Chasseignaux, E, Gerault, P, Toquin, M.T, Salvat, G, Colin, P, Ermel, G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 07-05-2002; Blackwell; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Animals; bacteria; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the nervous system. Bacterial myositis; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle; Contamination; Ecology; Environment; Environmental factors; Equipment Contamination; Food contamination; Food Handling - statistics & numerical data; Food industries; Food irradiation; Food Microbiology; Food plants; Food processing; Food processing industry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Human bacterial diseases; humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hygiene and safety; Hygrometry; Infectious diseases; Listeria; Listeria monocytogenes; Listeria monocytogenes - isolation & purification; Listeriosis - epidemiology; Listeriosis - microbiology; Listeriosis - veterinary; Low temperature; Meat; Meat - microbiology; Meat processing; meat processing plants; Meat Products - microbiology; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Plastics; Pork; Poultry; Poultry - microbiology; poultry meat; Processing plant environment; risk; Risk assessment; Risk Factors; Surface Properties; Swine - microbiology; Temperature; Zoonoses - microbiology; Zoonoses - transmission; Ecology; Poultry; Processing plant environment; Pork; Human; Listeria monocytogenes; Food factory; Environmental factor; Contamination; Pig; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Bacteria; Artiodactyla; Ungulata; Food
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2002.tb11192.x

The zoonotic Listeria monocytogenes is mainly transmitted to humans by the food-borne route. This bacterium was often found in the environment of food processing plants. Therefore the aims of this study were (i) the identification of environmental factors associated with L. monocytogenes contamination on working and non-working surfaces in poultry or pork processing plants and (ii) the understanding of its survival in such environments. The physicochemical risk profiles showed that a surface in resin or plastic, rather than uneven, with organic residues, with a neutral pH, a low temperature and a high hygrometry was associated with L. monocytogenes contamination.