Environment and Management : Broiler Breeders

The objective of this cooperative research project is to quantify Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) uncured and cured poultry, pork and beef products that have been pre-sliced by the manufacturer or sliced upon demand in supermarket delis. This data will expand on a previous study sponsored by the Food Products Association (formerly National Food Processors Association; Gombas et al., 2003, J. Food Prot., 66:559) which compared the risk of listeriosis to consumers from RTE products sliced at retail stores versus the risk from products sliced and packaged by the manufacturer. This is an ongoing study in which four states participating in the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network of the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention Emerging Infections Program have been selected as collection sites: California Bay Area, Georgia, Minnesota and Tennessee. Samples are collected weekly from randomly selected counties and processed within 36 hours of collection. Samples positive for L. monocytogenes are quantitatively assessed using a standard 3tube MPN. Data from this study will be used to estimate actual consumer exposure to L. monocytogenes from the sampled RTE products, and to conduct additional L. monocytogenes risk assessments. The importance of cooperation between industry, academia and the Food Safety and Inspection Services of the US Department of Agriculture in performing this kind of research will also be discussed.