<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>In 2015 in the European Union member states listeriosis caused 270 deaths. Food is the route of transmission in 99% of all human infection cases. Several studies from different countries have shown that the presence of <italic>Listeria monocytogenes</italic> in food can be as high as 58.3%. One of the most important ways to protect food from these microorganisms is to prevent the spread of the bacteria at processing plants at different stages of food production chain. The ability of <italic>L</italic>. <italic>monocytogenes</italic> to survive in extreme conditions and to form biofilms on various surfaces is a significant challenge for food safety. Removal of these bacteria from niches in processing plants is difficult and requires the use of sanitisers and precise equipment cleaning. The presence of <italic>L</italic>. <italic>monocytogenes</italic> in processing environment at slaughterhouses, deli meat factories or in retail may be a reason of cross-contamination. Proper hygienic systems applied by workers in food preparing places and knowledge about different routes of spreading of these bacteria may effectively decrease the risk of food contamination. Standardised legal regulations and control of meat product manufacture should be a fundamental way to protect food from <italic>L</italic>. <italic>monocytogenes</italic> contamination.</p>
</abstract>

In 2015 in the European Union member states listeriosis caused 270 deaths. Food is the route of transmission in 99% of all human infection cases. Several studies from different countries have shown that the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in food can be as high as 58.3%. One of the most important ways to protect food from these microorganisms is to prevent the spread of the bacteria at processing plants at different stages of food production chain. The ability of L. monocytogenes to survive in extreme conditions and to form biofilms on various surfaces is a significant challenge for food safety. Removal of these bacteria from niches in processing plants is difficult and requires the use of sanitisers and precise equipment cleaning. The presence of L. monocytogenes in processing environment at slaughterhouses, deli meat factories or in retail may be a reason of cross-contamination. Proper hygienic systems applied by workers in food preparing places and knowledge about different routes of spreading of these bacteria may effectively decrease the risk of food contamination. Standardised legal regulations and control of meat product manufacture should be a fundamental way to protect food from L. monocytogenes contamination.

Ready-to-eat meat products as a source of <italic>Listeria monocytogenes</italic>

Department of Hygiene of Food of Animal Origin

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Ready-to-eat meat products as a source of 

In 2015 in the European Union member states listeriosis caused 270 deaths. Food is the route of transmission in 99% of all human infection cases. Several...

Country	Food product	Number of samples tested	Percentage of positive samples	Reference
Europe

Serbia	Cooked meat products	311	0.96%	2
	Cured meat products	111	4.5%

Spain	Cooked meat products	35	5.71%	13
	Raw-cured products	57	5.26%
	Dry-cured products	37	2.7%

Sweden	Heat treated meat products	507	1.2%	28

Italy	Salami	112	20.5%	6

Portugal	Dry-cured ham	44	2.3%	31

United Kingdom	Cooked meat	1,321	2.2%	30
	Pâté	411	0.24%
	Fermented meats	316	1.9%

Austria	Cooked sausage-Pâté	112	4.5%	41
	Fermented sausages	65	1.5%

Poland	Cooked sausage	84	2.38%	27

Slovakia	Ľudová salami	11	54%	24
	Ham sausage	8	37.5%
	Ipeľská sausage	12	58.3%

Turkey	Cooked red meat	31	6.4%	43

Asia

Japan	RTE raw meats	96	3.1%	38
	Heat treated meat products	1,091	0.8%

Malaysia	Sausages	30	13.3%	29

China	Cooked meat	62	6.5%	37
	Cooked meat	55	7.2%	42

South America

Chile	Cooked sausage	41	13%	32
	Pâté	62	55%

Colombia	Sausage	169	7.69%	11
	Ham	10	6.13%
	“Choriso”	67	4.03%

Trinidad and	Deli meats	70	1.4%	22

Tobago

Brazil	Pork sausage	138	39.8%	36

North America

Canada	Fermented sausage	100	4%	1

Ready-to-eat meat products as a source of Listeria monocytogenes

Article Category: Review Article

Published Online: Mar 30, 2018

Page range: 49 - 55

Received: Sep 20, 2017

Accepted: Feb 12, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2018-0007

Keywords
ready-to-eat meat products, contamination, food chain

© 2018 M. Kurpas et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1

Contamination of RTE products in different countries

Ready-to-eat meat products as a source of Listeria monocytogenes

Article Category: Review Article

Published Online: Mar 30, 2018

Page range: 49 - 55

Received: Sep 20, 2017

Accepted: Feb 12, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2018-0007

Keywordsready-to-eat meat products, contamination, food chain

© 2018 M. Kurpas et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1

Contamination of RTE products in different countries

Keywords
ready-to-eat meat products, contamination, food chain