Research Publications (Food Safety)

Abstract Listeriosis, an invasive illness with a fatality rate between 20% and 30%, is caused by the ubiquitous bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Human listeriosis has long been associated with foods. This is because the ubiquitous nature of the bacteria renders it a common food contaminant, posing a significant risk to the food processing sector.

Abstract Silicone rubber (SR) is widely used in the food processing industry due to its excellent physical and chemical properties. However, due to the differences in SR product production formulas and processes, the quality of commercially available SR products varies greatly, with chemical and biological hazard potentials.

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, EarlyView. In 2023, Listeria monocytogenes persistence remains a problem in the food business. A profound understanding of how this pathogen persists may lead to better aimed intervention/prevention strategies. The lack of a uniform definition of persistence makes the comparison between studies complex.

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, EarlyView. The development of antibiotic resistance is a serious public health crisis, reducing our ability to effectively combat infectious bacterial diseases. The parallel study of reduced susceptibility to sanitizers is growing, particularly for environmental foodborne pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes. As regulations demand a seek-and-destroy approach for L.

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, EarlyView. Listeria monocytogenes continues to pose a food safety risk in ready-to-eat foods, including fresh and soft/semisoft cheeses. Despite L. monocytogenes being detected regularly along the cheese production continuum, variations in cheese style and intrinsic/extrinsic factors throughout the production process (e.g., pH, water activity, and temperature) affect the potential for L. monocytogenes survival and growth.

Microorganisms play a crucial and unique role in fish and fish product safety. The presence of human pathogens and the formation of histamine caused by spoilage bacteria make the control of both pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms critical for fish product safety.

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that is frequently found in the environment. It can easily enter food processing environments and contaminate food, potentially causing public health issues. Food business operators (FBOs) are responsible for the control of L. monocytogenes in the food processing environment, particularly in facilities producing ready‐to‐eat food. The design and implementation of an effective environmental monitoring program (EMP) for L.

Food contact surfaces (FCS) in food processing facilities may become contaminated with a number of unwanted microorganisms, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Staphylococcus aureus. To reduce contamination and the spread of disease, these surfaces may be treated with sanitizers or have active antimicrobial components adhered to them.

Listeria monocytogenes, in fresh and ready‐to‐eat produce such as whole fresh apples, is of concern as there is no “kill step” in their packing process that would eliminate the pathogenic bacteria. Recent listeriosis outbreaks revealed that insufficient cleaning and sanitation practices in fresh apple packing houses may lead to contamination of fruit with L. monocytogenes.

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic pathogen that has been involved in several deadly illness outbreaks. Future outbreaks may be more difficult to manage because of the emergence of antibiotic resistance among L. monocytogenes strains isolated from food products. The present review summarizes the available evidence on the emergence of antibiotic resistance among L. monocytogenes strains isolated from food products and the possible ways this resistance has developed.

Monitoring of dairy products should preferably focus on the most relevant food safety hazards in the dairy supply chain. For this purpose, the possible presence of microbiological, chemical, and physical hazards as well as trends in the dairy supply chain that may affect their presence were assessed. A literature review was combined with available data from EFSA, RASFF, and the Dutch monitoring program on chemical hazards as well as expert information.