Abstract
Ready-to-eat (RTE) artisanal foods are very popular, but they can be contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes. The aim was to determine the presence of L. monocytogenes in artisanal RTE foods and evaluate its food safety risk. We analyzed 400 RTE artisanal food samples requiring minimal (fresh products manufactured by a primary producer) or moderate processing (culinary products for sale from the home, restaurants such as small cafés, or on the street). Listeria monocytogenes was isolated according to the ISO 11290-1:2017 standard, detected with VIDAS equipment, and identified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A small subset (n = 8) of the strains were further characterized for evaluation. The antibiotic resistance profile was determined by the CLSI methodology, and the virulence genes hlyA, prfA, and inlA were detected by PCR. Genotyping was performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Listeria monocytogenes was detected in 7.5% of RTE artisanal foods. On the basis of food type, positivity in minimally processed artisanal foods was 11.6%, significantly different from moderately processed foods with 6.2% positivity (p > 0.05). All the L. monocytogenes strains (n = 8) amplified the three virulence genes, while six strains exhibited premature stop codons (PMSC) in the inlA gene; two strains were resistant to ampicillin and one strain was resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Seven strains were 1/2a serotype and one was a 4b strain. The sampled RTE artisanal foods did not meet the microbiological criteria for L. monocytogenes according to the Chilean Food Sanitary Regulations. The presence of virulence factors and antibiotic-resistant strains make the consumption of RTE artisanal foods a risk for the hypersensitive population that consumes them.
Highlights
Foodborne diseases are a major public health problem worldwide
As for pathogen quantification, minimally processed RTE artisanal foods such as cooked meats and pre-processed fruit had the highest counts with 5.7 × and 2.2 × CFU/g, respectively
In Turkey, the prevalence of L. monocytogenes in RTE vegetables varied between 5% and 15% [41]; this is similar to positivity encountered in Malaysia where 15% contamination was revealed in this type of food [42]
Summary
Foodborne diseases are a major public health problem worldwide. The y have an impact on consumer health and the economies of importing countries [1]. The incidence of foodborne diseases has been increasing because of factors such as changes in industrial production, food globalization, new economic treaties, and more recently, the need to consume fresher, healthier, and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods with minimal or moderate production and artisanal processing [2]. Minimally or moderately processed RTE foods can be a health risk for consumers because they could contain dangerous microorganisms [4]. Inadequate manufacturing and hygiene practices throughout the RTE process can lead to contamination by and/or survival of microorganisms. This can promote the proliferation of microorganisms and reach harmful levels for health if temperature control is inadequate during the distribution and/or marketing of RTE products [5]
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