Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in Idiazabal cheese

• Published in: Nutrición hospitalaria : organo oficial de la Sociedad Española de Nutrición Parenteral y Enteral Vol. 27; no. 6; pp. 2139 - 2141
• Main Authors: Arrese, E, Arroyo-Izaga, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spain Grupo Arán 01.11.2012
• Subjects: Animals; Bacterial Load; Cheese - microbiology; Listeria monocytogenes; Listeriosis - epidemiology; Listeriosis - microbiology; Nutrition & Dietetics; Prevalence; Public Health; Sheep; Spain - epidemiology; Spain; Food microbiology; Queso; Consumer; Listeria monocytogenes; Microbiología de los alimentos; Cheese; Consumidor
• ISSN: 1699-5198; 1699-5198
• DOI: 10.3305/nh.2012.27.6.6052

Raw-milk cheese has been identified in risk assessment as a food of greater concern to public health due to listeriosis. To determine the prevalence and levels of Listeria monocytogenes in semi-hard Idiazabal cheese manufactured by different producers in the Basque Country at consumer level. A total of 51 Idiazabal cheese samples were obtained from 10 separate retail establishments, chosen by stratified random sampling. Samples were tested using the official standard ISO procedure 11290-1 for detection and enumeration methods. All cheese samples tested negative for L. monocytogenes. However, 9.8% tested positive for Listeria spp., different from L. monocytogenes. Positive samples came from two brands, two were natural and three were smoked. The presence of Listeria spss. suggests that the cheese making process and the hygiene whether at milking or during cheese making could be insufficient.