Abstract
The morphological, physiological and epidemiological features of L. monocytogenes, together with the severity of human listeriosis infections, make L. monocytogenes of particular concern for manufacturers of cold-stored “ready to eat” (RTE) foods. L. monocytogenes has been isolated from a wide variety of RTE foods and is responsible for several outbreaks associated with the consumption of RTE meat, poultry, dairy, fish and vegetable products. Although L. monocytogenes is among the most frequently-detected pathogens in dry fermented sausages, these products could be included in the category of RTE products in which the growth of L. monocytogenes is not favored and have rarely been implicated in listeriosis outbreaks. However, L. monocytogenes is highly difficult to control in fermented sausage processing environments due to its high tolerance to low pH and high salt concentration. In many Mediterranean-style dry fermented sausages, an empirical application of the hurdle technology often occurs and the frequent detection of L. monocytogenes in these products at the end of ripening highlights the need for food business operators to properly apply hurdle technology and to control the contamination routes of L. monocytogenes in the processing plants. In the following, through an up-to-date review of (personal and un-) published data, the main aspects of the presence of L. monocytogenes in Mediterranean-style dry fermented sausages will be discussed.
Highlights
Introduction to the Main Features ofListeria monocytogenesThe genus Listeria comprises fifteen species, i.e., L. monocytogenes, L. ivanovii, L. innocua, L. welshimeri, L. seeligeri, L. grayi, L. marthii, L. rocourtiae, L. leichmannii, L. weihenstephanensis, L. floridensis, L. aquatic, L. cornellensis, L. riparia and L. grandensis (Meloni, 2014 [1]).1.2
L. monocytogenes can grow at pH ranges between 4.5 and 9.0 and is able to multiply in food matrices at water activity values of 0.92 and in NaCl concentrations of 12%, generally lethal to other microorganisms
Listeriosis is an important disease in Europe: it is the fourth most common zoonotic disease, and it has an annual incidence of 0.41 cases per 100,000 population, with the highest notification rates in Finland, Spain and Denmark (EFSA, 2014 [4])
Summary
The genus Listeria comprises fifteen species, i.e., L. monocytogenes, L. ivanovii, L. innocua, L. welshimeri, L. seeligeri, L. grayi, L. marthii, L. rocourtiae, L. leichmannii, L. weihenstephanensis, L. floridensis, L. aquatic, L. cornellensis, L. riparia and L. grandensis (Meloni, 2014 [1])
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