scholarly journals Construction and Analysis of Fractional Multifactorial Designs To Study Attachment Strength and Transfer of Listeria monocytogenes from Pure or Mixed Biofilms after Contact with a Solid Model Food

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 2313-2321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graziella Midelet ◽  
André Kobilinsky ◽  
Brigitte Carpentier

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to establish which of seven factors influence the adhesion strength and hence bacterial transfer between biofilms containing Listeria monocytogenes (pure and two-species biofilms) and tryptone soya agar (TSA) as a solid organic surface. The two-species biofilms were made of L. monocytogenes and one of the following species of bacteria: the nonpathogenic organisms Kocuria varians, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Staphylococcus sciuri and CCL 63, an unidentified gram-negative bacterium isolated from the processing plant environment. We used biofilms prepared under conditions simulating open surfaces in meat-processing sites. The biofilm's adhesion strength and population were evaluated by making 12 contacts on a given whole biofilm (4.5 cm2), using a new slice of a sterilized TSA cylinder for each contact, and plotting the logarithm CFU · cm−2 detached by each contact against the contact number. Three types of detachment kinetics were observed: biphasic kinetics, where the first slope may be either positive or negative, and monophasic kinetics. The bacteria that resisted a chlorinated alkaline product and a glutaraldehyde- and quaternary ammonium-based disinfectant had greater adhesion strengths than those determined for untreated biofilms. One of the four non-Listeria strains studied, Kocuria varians CCL 56, favored both the attachment and detachment of L. monocytogenes. The stainless steel had smaller bacterial populations than polymer materials, and non-Listeria bacteria adhered to it less strongly. Our results helped to evaluate measures aimed at controlling the immediate risk, linked to the presence of a large number of CFU in a foodstuff, and the delayed risk, linked to the persistence of L. monocytogenes and the occurrence of slightly contaminated foods that may become dangerous if L. monocytogenes multiplies during storage. Cleaning and disinfection reduce the immediate risk, while reducing the delayed risk should be achieved by lowering the adhesion strength, which the sanitizers used here cannot do at low concentrations.

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 717
Author(s):  
Niels Demaître ◽  
Geertrui Rasschaert ◽  
Lieven De Zutter ◽  
Annemie Geeraerd ◽  
Koen De Reu

The purpose of this study was to investigate the L. monocytogenes occurrence and genetic diversity in three Belgian pork cutting plants. We specifically aim to identify harborage sites and niche locations where this pathogen might occur. A total of 868 samples were taken from a large diversity of food and non-food contact surfaces after cleaning and disinfection (C&D) and during processing. A total of 13% (110/868) of environmental samples tested positive for L. monocytogenes. When looking in more detail, zone 3 non-food contact surfaces were contaminated more often (26%; 72/278) at typical harborage sites, such as floors, drains, and cleaning materials. Food contact surfaces (zone 1) were less frequently contaminated (6%; 25/436), also after C&D. PFGE analysis exhibited low genetic heterogeneity, revealing 11 assigned clonal complexes (CC), four of which (CC8, CC9, CC31, and CC121) were predominant and widespread. Our data suggest (i) the occasional introduction and repeated contamination and/or (ii) the establishment of some persistent meat-adapted clones in all cutting plants. Further, we highlight the importance of well-designed extensive sampling programs combined with genetic characterization to help these facilities take corrective actions to prevent transfer of this pathogen from the environment to the meat.


2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
pp. 2433-2438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae-Won Kim ◽  
Sophia Kathariou

ABSTRACT Listeria monocytogenes epidemic clone II (ECII) has been responsible for two multistate outbreaks in the United States in 1998-1999 and in 2002, in which contaminated ready-to-eat meat products (hot dogs and turkey deli meats, respectively) were implicated. However, ecological adaptations of ECII strains in the food-processing plant environment remain unidentified. In this study, we found that broad-host-range phages, including phages isolated from the processing plant environment, produced plaques on ECII strains grown at 37°C but not when the bacteria were grown at lower temperatures (30°C or below). ECII strains grown at lower temperatures were resistant to phage regardless of the temperature during infection and subsequent incubation. In contrast, the phage susceptibility of all other tested strains of serotype 4b (including epidemic clone I) and of strains of other serotypes and Listeria species was independent of the growth temperature of the bacteria. This temperature-dependent phage susceptibility of ECII bacteria was consistently observed with all surveyed ECII strains from outbreaks or from processing plants, regardless of the presence or absence of cadmium resistance plasmids. Phages adsorbed similarly on ECII bacteria grown at 25°C and at 37°C, suggesting that resistance of ECII strains grown at 25°C was not due to failure of the phage to adsorb. Even though the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated, temperature-dependent phage resistance may represent an important ecological adaptation of L. monocytogenes ECII in processed, cold-stored foods and in the processing plant environment, where relatively low temperatures prevail.


1996 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 827-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
ISABEL C. BLACKMAN ◽  
JOSEPH F. FRANK

The objective of this research was to determine the ability of Listeria monocytogenes to grow as a biofilm on various food-processing surfaces including stainless steel, Teflon®, nylon, and polyester floor sealant. Each of these surfaces was able to support biofilm formation when incubation was at 21°C in Trypticase soy broth (TSB). Biofilm formation was greatest on polyester floor sealant (40% of surface area covered after 7 days of incubation) and least on nylon (3% coverage). The use of chemically defined minimal medium resulted in a lack of biofilm formation on polyester floor sealant, and reduced biofilm levels on stainless steel. Biofilm formation was reduced with incubation at 10°C, but Teflon® and stainless steel still allowed 23 to 24% coverage after incubation in TSB for 18 days. Biofilm growth of L. monocytogenes was sufficient to provide a substantial risk of this pathogen contaminating the food-processing plant environment if wet surfaces are not maintained in a sanitary condition.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (21) ◽  
pp. 4611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Sophie Hascoët ◽  
Carolina Ripolles-Avila ◽  
Alfons Eduard Guerrero-Navarro ◽  
José Juan Rodríguez-Jerez

There is a whole community of microorganisms capable of surviving the cleaning and disinfection processes in the food industry. These persistent microorganisms can enhance or inhibit biofilm formation and the proliferation of foodborne pathogens. Cleaning and disinfection protocols will never reduce the contamination load to 0; however, it is crucial to know which resident species are present and the risk they represent to pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, as they can be further used as a complementary control strategy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the resident surface microbiota in an Iberian pig processing plant after carrying out the cleaning and disinfection processes. To do so, surface sensors were implemented, sampled, and evaluated by culture plate count. Further, isolated microorganisms were identified through biochemical tests. The results show that the surfaces are dominated by Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., different enterobacteria, Mannheimia haemolytica, Rhizobium radiobacter, Staphylococcus spp., Aeromonas spp., lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts and molds. Moreover, their probable relationship with the presence of L. monocytogenes in three areas of the plant is also explained. Further studies of the resident microbiota and their interaction with pathogens such as L. monocytogenes are required. New control strategies that promote the most advantageous profile of microorganisms in the resident microbiota could be a possible alternative for pathogen control in the food industry. To this end, the understanding of the resident microbiota on the surfaces of the food industry and its relation with pathogen presence is crucial.


2000 ◽  
Vol 125 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. OJENIYI ◽  
J. CHRISTENSEN ◽  
M. BISGAARD

Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from critical control points in a Danish turkey processing plant, from turkey products and from cases of human listeriosis. During processing in the plant the prevalence of L. monocytogenes ranged from 25·9 to 41·4%. Cleaning and disinfection decreased the prevalence to 6·4%. Isolates of L. monocytogenes were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using restriction endonuclease ApaI. Identical DNA types were obtained from turkey products and the processing line even after cleaning and disinfection. Two identical DNA types were demonstrated among isolates from turkey products and human cases of listeriosis. The prevalence of L. monocytogenes in turkey products ranged from 7·3 to 17·4% for ready-to-eat products and raw products, respectively. Since none of the 27 flocks examined before slaughter sampled positive for L. monocytogenes and the prevalence increased during processing, the potential risk from turkey meat was apparently due to factory hygiene rather than intrinsic contamination of the turkeys.


2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 980-985 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. BERRANG ◽  
R. J. MEINERSMANN ◽  
J. F. FRANK ◽  
D. P. SMITH ◽  
L. L. GENZLINGER

Samples from environmental sites and raw product in a chicken further processing plant were collected every 6 weeks for 12 months. Each sample site was examined before and after a complete production shift. All samples were examined for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, which was detected in floor drains on the raw product side of the plant preoperation and in drains on both raw and cooked sides following 8 h of processing operation. L. monocytogenes also was detected in raw product and once in fully cooked product but never on cooked product contact surfaces. One hundred sixty-one isolates were collected from 75 positive samples. All isolates were subtyped using a sequence-based method, and 14 unique subtypes were detected through the course of the study. Four of these types were found repeatedly and appeared to be resident in the plant. Three of the four resident strains were detected on raw product at some point during the year-long study, suggesting that raw product may be one source of L. monocytogenes in the processing plant environment. These data highlight the need for research to investigate why some types of L. monocytogenes persist in a processing plant environment but others do not.


2010 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 2103-2109 ◽  
Author(s):  
AIVARS BĒRZIŅŠ ◽  
SANNA HELLSTRÖM ◽  
INDULIS SILIŅŠ ◽  
HANNU KORKEALA

Contamination patterns of Listeria monocytogenes were studied in a cold-smoked pork processing plant to identify the sources and possible reasons for the contamination. Environmental sampling combined with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) subtyping and serotyping were applied to investigate the genetic diversity of L. monocytogenes in the plant environment and ready-to-eat (RTE) cold-smoked pork products. A total of 183 samples were collected for contamination analyses, including samples of the product at different stages during manufacture (n = 136) and environmental samples (n = 47) in 2009. L. monocytogenes isolates, previously recovered from 73 RTE cold-smoked pork samples and collected from the same meat processing plant in 2004, were included in this study. The brining machine and personnel working with brining procedures were the most contaminated places with L. monocytogenes. The overall prevalence of L. monocytogenes in raw pork (18%) increased to 60% after the brining injections. The brining machine harbored six different PFGE types belonging to serotypes 1/2a, 1/2c, 4b, and 4d, which were found on the feeding teeth, smooth surfaces, and spaces of the machine, thus potentially facilitating dissemination of L. monocytogenes contamination. Two PFGE types (2 and 8) belonging to serotypes 1/2a and 1/2c were recovered from RTE cold-smoked pork collected in 2004, and from surfaces of the brining machine sampled in 2009, and may indicate the presence of persistent L. monocytogenes strains in the plant. Due to poor hygiene design, removal of the brining machine from the production of cold-smoked meat products should be considered to reduce L. monocytogenes contamination in the finished products.


Biofilms ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Møretrø ◽  
S. Langsrud

Listeria monocytogenes is ubiquitous in nature and a major concern for the food industry, since it is the causal agent of the serious foodborne illness listeriosis. This organism can be introduced through many routes to food-processing environments and may become established on food-processing equipment. Subsequently, food products may become contaminated during processing. In addition, the bacterium can grow at refrigeration temperatures. Biofilms are regarded as important with respect to the survival and growth of microorganisms in the food industry. Microorganisms growing in biofilms are protected against cleaning and disinfection and are difficult to eradicate. Listeria monocytogenes may grow in biofilms that protect them against environmental stress and can be isolated from surfaces after cleaning and disinfection. For each individual food-processing plant, a limited number of clones of L. monocytogenes may become established and persist for years. Persistent strains adhere to surfaces and form biofilms more readily compared to sporadically found strains, suggesting that adherence to surfaces is important for survival and persistence of L. monocytogenes in food-processing environments. Listeria monocytogenes can adhere to all the materials commonly used in the food industry. In biofilms L. monocytogenes is significantly more resistant to disinfection than its free-living counterparts and thick, complex biofilms are more difficult to remove than adherent single cells of L. monocytogenes. Several novel approaches to avoid adhesion of L. monocytogenes have been proposed, but high costs, practical difficulties or resistance problems limit their practical use. Despite considerable research on the adhesive properties and resistance of L. monocytogenes enabling its survival in the food production environment, a final solution for avoiding establishment of the bacterium has not yet been found.


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 475
Author(s):  
Anne-Sophie Hascoët ◽  
Carolina Ripolles-Avila ◽  
Brayan R. H. Cervantes-Huamán ◽  
José Juan Rodríguez-Jerez

Listeria monocytogenes continues to be one of the most important public health challenges for the meat sector. Many attempts have been made to establish the most efficient cleaning and disinfection protocols, but there is still the need for the sector to develop plans with different lines of action. In this regard, an interesting strategy could be based on the control of this type of foodborne pathogen through the resident microbiota naturally established on the surfaces. A potential inhibitor, Bacillus safensis, was found in a previous study that screened the interaction between the resident microbiota and L. monocytogenes in an Iberian pig processing plant. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of preformed biofilms of Bacillus safensis on the adhesion and implantation of 22 strains of L. monocytogenes. Mature preformed B. safensis biofilms can inhibit adhesion and the biofilm formation of multiple L. monocytogenes strains, eliminating the pathogen by a currently unidentified mechanism. Due to the non-enterotoxigenic properties of B. safensis, its presence on certain meat industry surfaces should be favored and it could represent a new way to fight against the persistence of L. monocytogenes in accordance with other bacterial inhibitors and hygiene operations.


2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (6) ◽  
pp. 4313-4322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gitte Wulff ◽  
Lone Gram ◽  
Peter Ahrens ◽  
Birte Fonnesbech Vogel

ABSTRACT Contamination of foods with the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes may occur during processing, and the purpose of this study was to determine whether genetically similar strains colonize different processing plants or whether specific persistent strains are unique to each processing plant. We hypothesized that specific L. monocytogenes strains may be better adapted to specific environmental niches in the processing environment. L. monocytogenes contamination patterns were identified by the collection of 686 and 267 samples from the processing environments: raw fish and products of four fish smokehouses and four fish slaughterhouses, respectively. Samples were collected both during production and after cleaning and disinfection. Typically, these samplings were separated by 1 to 3 months. Sampling sites were targeted toward areas likely to harbor the bacterium. L. monocytogenes was isolated from 213 samples, and one strain from each positive sample was typed by RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) analysis with four different primers. The 213 strains were divided into 37 RAPD types. One RAPD type was predominant; 86 of 213 strains belonged to this type. This type was found in three smokehouses and two slaughterhouses and was predominant in three of these plants. A subset of 35 strains was also analyzed by amplified fragment length polymorphism typing, which confirmed the genetic similarity of the groups. Moreover, strains of the dominant RAPD type were indistinguishable from strains isolated frequently from smoked fish products 10 years ago. One smokehouse was surveyed for a year and a half, and the dominant RAPD type persisted throughout the survey period and accounted for 94 of 118 isolates. Our study indicates that strains of L. monocytogenes that are genetically very closely related may be especially adapted to colonizing the processing equipment or especially resistant to cleaning and disinfection.


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