Listeria spp. found on fresh market produce

• Published in: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Vol. 55; no. 8; pp. 1925 - 1927
• Main Authors: Heisick, J.E. (Food and Drug Administration, Minneapolis, MN), Wagner, D.E, Nierman, M.L, Peeler, J.T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01.08.1989
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Food industries; Food Microbiology; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HIGIENE DE LOS ALIMENTOS; HORTALIZAS; HYGIENE DES ALIMENTS; LEGUME; LISTERIA; Listeria - isolation & purification; Listeria innocua; Listeria monocytogenes - isolation & purification; Listeria seeligeri; Listeria welshimeri; MAGASIN; TIENDAS; Vegetables; Listeria; United States; America; Bacteria; Identification; North America; Biological contamination; Vegetable; Vegetals; Natural product; Immunological method; Strain; Vegetable crop; Isolation; Technique; Detection; Serotyping; Food
• ISSN: 0099-2240; 1098-5336
• DOI: 10.1128/aem.55.8.1925-1927.1989

From October 1987 to August 1988, 1,000 tests were conducted on 10 types of fresh produce from two Mineapolis area supermarkets to detect Listeria spp. The produce included broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, lettuce, mushrooms, potatoes, radishes, and tomatoes. The vegetables were tested by the Food and Drug Administraiton method for isolation of Listeria spp., with the addition of LiCl-phenylethanol-moxalactam agar in the last 280 tests; 8.6 and 11.4% of these tests were positive by modified McBride and LiCl-phenylethanol-moxalactam agars, respectively. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from cabbage, cucumbers, potatoes, and radishes; L. innocua was isolated from cucumbers, lettuce, mushrooms, potatoes and radishes; L. seeligeri was isolated from cabbage and radishes; and L. welshimeri was isolated from cucumbers, potatoes, and radishes. The isolates were of various serotypes; however, the L. monocytogenes isolates were predominantly serotype 1 (82%). Only potatoes (25.8% positive) and radishes (30.3% positive) showed significant amounts of L. monocytogenes contamination