Listeria monocytogenes and its impact on the safety of food of animal origin

ABSTRACT: This research detected Listeria monocytogenes in samples of animal origin and equipment from processing industries using Real-Time PCR and VIDAS LMO 2 techniques. We analyzed 248 samples collected in dairy products, chicken meat, frozen, beef cuts, mechanically deboned chicken meat, fresh giblets, processed meat products and equipment of Brazilian processing plants. The microorganism was detected in 7.3% (18/248) of samples associating the two methodologies, in 6.4% (16/248) by Real-Time PCR and 4.0% (10/248) by the other method. L. monocytogenes was detected in 3.1% (3/95) of dairy products, 4.0% (3/74) of chicken meat, 84.6% (11/13) mechanically deboned chicken meat and 8.3% (1/12) processed meat products. The positive samples included mozzarella, fresh Minas cheese, chicken meat cut, mechanically deboned chicken meat, fresh chicken sausage. The bacteria were absent in frozen, beef cuts and equipment food processing industry samples. The presence of the bacteria in cheeses, chicken meats, and sausages indicated that these foods can pose risks to public health and emphasizes the need to implement control measures during processing. Equally worrying is the presence of the microorganism in mechanically deboned chicken meat and in the raw material for countless processed meat products.