Chapter 15: Listeria monocytogenes

• Potential Food Safety Hazard
• Control Measures
• Guidelines
• FDA Guidelines
• Canadian Bacteriological Guidelines
• Growth
• Heat Resistance
• Analytical Procedures
• Food sampling and preparation of sample homogenate (USFDA)
• Definition of Terms; Collection of Samples; Supplement to all Methods in the HC Compendium (HC)
• L. monocytogenes (USFDA)
• Serodiagnosis of Listeria monocytogenes (USFDA)
• Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from all foods and environmental samples  (HC)
• Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods and Environmental Samples by the Vidas LMO 2 ^TM Method (HC)
• Enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes in food (HC)
• Identification of presumptive positive Listeria monocytogenes from foods by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (HC)
• Identification of Listeria monocytogenes by Accuprobe^TM (AccuProbe Rapid DNA Probe Test) (HC)
• Other analytical procedures
• Commercial Test Products
• References

The greatest threat of listeriosis is from ready-to-eat products that do not require further cooking at home. L. monocytogenes in raw food that will be cooked before consumption is less of a concern to the food industry since the bacteria are killed during cooking. L. monocytogenes has been isolated from raw fish, cooked crabs, raw and cooked shrimp, raw lobster, surimi and smoked fish (Ward et al., 1997).

• Listeria monocytogenes in Milk and Dairy Products: Selective Enrichment and Isolation Method (AOAC, 1995a)
• Listeria Species: Biochemical Identification Method (Vitek GPI and GNI) (AOAC, 1995b)
• Listeria in Dairy Products, Seafoods, and Meats: Colorimetric Deoxyribonucleic Acid-hybridization Method (GENE-TRAK Listeria Assay) (AOAC, 1995c)
• Listeria monocytogenes in Dairy Products, Seafoods, and Meats: Colorimetric Monoclonal Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay Method (AOAC, 1995d)
• Listeria in Foods, Colorimetric Polyclonal Enzyme Immunoassay Screening Method (TECRA Listeria Visual Immunoassay) (AOAC, 1995e)
• Listeria Species: Biochemical Identification Method (MICRO-ID Listeria) (AOAC, 1995f)

Alden, M.J., L. Marconi, J. Hogan, I.G. Rosen, and R. Johnson. 1990. A chemiluminescent DNA probe assay for the identification of Listeria monocytogenes from culture plates. Abstr. ICAAC 1990:109.

AOAC. 1995a. Listeria monocytogenes in milk and dairy products: Selective enrichment and isolation method. Sec. 17.10.01, Method 993.12. In Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International, 16th ed., P.A. Cunniff (Ed.), p. 94a-98. AOAC International, Gaithersburg, MD.

AOAC, 1995b. Listeria species: Biochemical identification method (Vitek GPI and GNI). Sec. 17.10.03, Method 992.19. In Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International, 16th ed., P.A. Cunniff (Ed.), p. 100-103. AOAC International, Gaithersburg, MD.

AOAC, 1995c. Listeria in dairy products, seafoods, and meats: Colorimetric deoxyribonucleic acid-hybridization method (GENE-TRAK Listeria Assay). Sec. 17.10.04, Method 993.09. In Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International, 16th ed., P.A. Cunniff (Ed.), p. 103-106. AOAC International, Gaithersburg, MD.

AOAC, 1995d. Listeria monocytogenes in dairy products, seafoods, and meats: Colorimetric monoclonal enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Sec. 17.10.05, Method 994.03. In Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International, 16th ed., P.A. Cunniff (Ed.), p. 106-106b. AOAC International, Gaithersburg, MD.

AOAC, 1995e. Listeria in foods: Colorimetric polyclonal enzyme immunoassay screening method (TECRA Listeria Visual Immunoassay). Sec 17.11.03, Method 995.22. In Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International, 16th ed., P.A. Cunniff (Ed.). AOAC International, Gaithersburg, MD.

AOAC. 1995f. Listeria species: Biochemical identification method (MICRO-ID Listeria). Sec. 17.10.02, Method 992.18. In Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International, 16th ed., P.A. Cunniff (Ed.), p. 94a-98. AOAC International, Gaithersburg, MD.

Bille, J., and M.P. Doyle. 1991. Listeriae and Erysipelothrix. In Manual of Clinical Microbiology, 5th ed. A. Balows, W.J. Hausler, Jr., K.L. Herman, H.D. Isenberg, and H.J. Shadomy (Eds.), p. 287-295. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC.

Boeolin, P., J. Rocourt, F. Grimont, P.A.D. Grimont, C. Jacquet, and J-C. Piffaretti. 1992. L. ivanovii subsp. londoniensis subsp. novi. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 42:69-73.

Bremer P.J. and Osborne, C.M. 1995. Thermal-death times for Listeria monocytogenes in green shell mussels (Perna canaliculus) prepared for hot smoking. J. Food Protect. 58:604-608.

Budu-Amoako, E., Toora, S., Walton, C., Ablett, R.F., and Smith, J. 1992. Thermal death times for Listeria monocytogenes in lobster meat. J. Food Protect. 55(3): 211-213.

Curtis, G.D.W., R.G. Mitchell, A.F. King, and J. Emma. 1989. A selective differential medium for the isolation of Listeria monocytogenes. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 8:95-98.

Datta, A.R., B.A. Wentz, and W.E. Hill. 1987. Detection of hemolytic Listeria monocytogenes by using DNA colony hybridization. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 53:2256-2259.

Datta, A.R., B.A. Wentz, J. Lane, and M.A. Moore. 1991. Nonradioactive DNA probe hybridization assay for identification of Listeria monocytogenes. ASM Abstracts, 91:82.

Dorsa, W.J., Marshall, D.L., Moody, M.W., and Hackney, C.R. 1993. Low temperature growth and thermal inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes in precooked crawfish tail meat. J. Food Protect. 56(2):106-109.

Embarek, P.K.B. and Huss, H.H. 1993. Heat resistance of Listeria monocytogenes in vacuum packaged pasteurized fish fillets. Intl. J. Food Microbiol. 20:85-95.

Harrison M.A. and Huang, Y. 1990. Thermal death times for Listeria monocytogenes (Scott A) in crabmeat. J. Food Protect. 53:878-880.

Hitchins, A.D. 1998. Listeria monocytogenes. Ch. 10. In Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual, 8th ed. (revision A), (CD-ROM version). R.L. Merker (Ed.). AOAC International, Gaithersburg, MD.

Jones, D. 1992. Current classification of the genus Listeria. In Listeria 1992, p. 7-8. Abstr. ISOPOL XI, Copenhagen.

Jones, D., and H.P.R. Seeliger. 1986. International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology. Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Listeria. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 36:117-118.

Klinger, J.D., A. Johnson, D. Croan, P. Flynn, K. Whippie, M. Kimball, J. Lawrie, and M. Curiale. 1988. Comparative studies of a nucleic and hybridization assay for Listeria in foods. J. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem. 71:669-673.

Lee, W.H., and D. McClain. 1986. Improved L. monocytogenes selective agar. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 52:1215-1217.

Mattingly, J.A., B.T. Butman, M.C. Plank, and R.J. Durham. 1988. A rapid monoclonal antibody-based ELISA for the detection of Listeria in food products. J. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem. 71:669-673.

Merker, R.L. (Ed.). 1998. Media and reagents, Appendix 3. In Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual, 8th ed. (revision A), (CD-ROM version). AOAC International, Gaithersburg, MD.

Peterkin, P.I., E.S. Idziack, and A.N. Sharpe. 1991. Detection of L. monocytogenes by direct colony hybridization on hydrophobic grid membrane filters by using a chromogen-labeled DNA probe. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 57:586-591.

Rocourt, J., P. Boerlin, F. Grimont, C. Jacquet, and J.C. Piffaretti. 1992. Assignment of Listeria grayi and Listeria murrayi to a single species, Listeria grayi, with a revised description of Listeria grayi. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 42:171-174.

Seeliger, H.P.R. and Jones, D. 1986. Genus Listeria. In Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Vol. 2. P.H.A. Sneath, N.S. Mair, M.E. Sharpe, and J.G. Holt (Eds.), p. 1235-1245. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, MD.

Stelma, G.N., Jr., A.L. Reyes, J.T. Peeler, D.W. Francis, J.M. Hunt, P.L. Spaulding, C.H. Johnson, and J. Lovett. 1987. Pathogenicity testing for L. monocytogenes using immunocompromised mice. J. Clin. Microbiol. 25:2085-2089.

Van Netten, P., I. Perales, A. van de Moosdijk, G.D. Curtis, and D.A. Mossel. 1989. Liquid and solid selective differential media for the detection and enumeration of L. monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 8:299-316.

Ward, D., Bernard, D., Collette, R., Kraemer, D., Hart, K., Price, R., and Otwell, S. (Eds.) 1997. Hazards Found in Seafoods, Appendix III. In HACCP: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Training Curriculum, 2^nd ed., p. 173-188. UNC-SG-96-02. North Carolina Sea Grant, Raleigh, NC. 

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