It lives among us and within us, in a world we can see only by looking through a high-power microscope.
With recent news of a Boars Head Meat plant shutdown because of an outbreak of listeria, and recent conversations I’ve had about it with others (see here and here), I wondered ‘exactly what is Listeria?’
Listeria is a bacteria, and in brief, here’s more (from Wikipedia):
Listeria monocytogenes is commonly found in soil, stream water, sewage, plants, and food.[5] Listeria in soil can contaminate vegetables, and animals can be carriers. It has been found in uncooked meats, uncooked vegetables, fruits including cantaloupe[30]and apples,[31] pasteurized or unpasteurized milk and milk products, and processed foods. Pasteurization and sufficient cooking kill Listeria; however, contamination may occur after cooking and before packaging. For example, meat-processing plants producing ready-to-eat foods, such as hot dogs and deli meats, must follow extensive sanitation policies and procedures to prevent Listeria contamination.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest has published a list of foods that have sometimes caused outbreaks of Listeria: hot dogs, deli meats, milk (even if pasteurized), cheeses (particularly soft-ripened cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined, or Mexican-style queso blanco), raw and cooked poultry, raw meats, ice cream, raw fruit,[40] vegetables, and smoked fish.[41] Cold-cut meats were implicated in an outbreak in Canada in 2008.
Preventing listeriosis as a foodborne illness requires effective sanitation of food contact surfaces.[53] Ethanol is an effective topical sanitizer against Listeria. Quaternary ammonium can be used in conjunction with alcohol as a food-contact safe sanitizer with increased duration of the sanitizing action.
Keeping foods in the home refrigerated below 4 °C (39 °F) discourages bacterial growth. Unpasteurized dairy products may pose a risk.[54] Heating of meats (including beef, pork, poultry, and seafood) to a sufficient internal temperature, typically 74 °C (165 °F), will kill the food-borne pathogen.[55]
Yep!! Picking on all the BIGGEST and most WELL KNOWN producers of food products I see…….Food supply chain companies are obvious and apparently easy targets……sure hope the security of our food supply is becoming a more important topic within each of these companies…..not just our health is involved, their LIVELIHOODS are all well….big time! Everything is FAIR GAME in this war of good and evil….!!!