Identification and evaluation of intervention measures that mitigate the presence of Listeria monocyogenes in artisan cheese.

Themajor goalsof this proposalare to help Vermont artisan cheese producers improve artisan cheese safety through: A. use of improved raw milk production and screening; B. improved procedures for environmental surveillance through validation of preferred swab/sponge collection formats; C. validation of rapid Listeria detection procedures; and D. validation of protocols for routine monitoring of wooden shelves used for cheese aging. The results of this project will provide practical, cost-effective testing procedures that can be utilized by Vermont's cheese making community.