Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2024 Nov;23(6):e70071. doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.70071.
Listeria monocytogenes contamination of ready-to-eat (RTE) food products and food-associated built environments (e.g., processing facilities) represents a food safety issue with major public health and business risk implications. A number of factors make L. monocytogenes control a particular challenge, including (i) its frequent presence in different environments, (ii) its propensity for establishing persistence in food-associated environments, (iii) its ability to grow under a variety of stressful conditions, and (iv) its ability to cause severe illness, particularly in immunocompromised individuals and pregnant people. Key sources of L. monocytogenes contamination of RTE foods are food-associated built environments. However, raw materials can also be an important source, particularly for products without a "kill step" (e.g., fresh produce, raw dairy products, cold-smoked seafood). While certain RTE foods (e.g., deli meats, soft cheeses, produce) have commonly been linked to listeriosis outbreaks, cases, and recalls, a number of factors will influence the specific public health risk a given RTE food represents, including the likelihood of contamination, ability to support L. monocytogenes growth, and consumer-related factors (including consumption by pregnant or immunocompromised individuals). Consequently, a risk-based approach presents the most appropriate strategy to minimize the public health and business impact of L. monocytogenes. Key challenges to control L. monocytogenes include (i) development and implementation of food safety systems that prevent L. monocytogenes persistence in food-associated built environments, (ii) minimizing L. monocytogenes contamination of raw material sources, (iii) implementation of effective root cause analysis procedures, (iv) minimizing L. monocytogenes growth in finished product, and (v) consumer education.
单增李斯特菌污染即食（RTE）食品和与食品相关的建筑环境（例如，加工设施）是一个具有重大公共卫生和商业风险的食品安全问题。有几个因素使得控制单增李斯特菌成为一个特别的挑战，包括：（i）它经常存在于不同的环境中，（ii）它在与食品相关的环境中建立持久性的倾向，（iii）它在各种应激条件下生长的能力，以及（iv）它引起严重疾病的能力，特别是在免疫功能低下的个体和孕妇中。RTE 食品中单增李斯特菌污染的主要来源是与食品相关的建筑环境。然而，原材料也可能是一个重要的来源，特别是对于没有“杀灭步骤”的产品（例如，新鲜农产品、生乳制品、冷熏海鲜）。虽然某些 RTE 食品（例如，熟食肉类、软奶酪、农产品）通常与李斯特菌病暴发、病例和召回有关，但许多因素将影响特定 RTE 食品所代表的具体公共卫生风险，包括污染的可能性、支持单增李斯特菌生长的能力以及消费者相关因素（包括孕妇或免疫功能低下个体的消费）。因此，基于风险的方法是最大限度地减少单增李斯特菌对公共卫生和商业影响的最合适策略。控制单增李斯特菌的关键挑战包括：（i）开发和实施食品安全系统，防止单增李斯特菌在与食品相关的建筑环境中持续存在，（ii）尽量减少原材料来源中单增李斯特菌的污染，（iii）实施有效的根本原因分析程序，（iv）最大限度地减少成品中单增李斯特菌的生长，以及（v）消费者教育。
