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Title: MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES ISOLATED FROM A POULTRY FURTHER PROCESSING FACILITY AND FROM FULLY COOKED PRODUCT

Author
item Berrang, Mark
item Meinersmann, Richard - Rick
item Northcutt, Julie
item Smith, Douglas

Submitted to: Southern Poultry Science Society Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2002
Publication Date: 7/1/2002
Citation: Berrang, M.E., Meinersmann, R.J., Northcutt, J.K., Smith, D.P. 2002. Molecular characterization of listeria monocytogenes isolated from a poultry further processing facility and from fully cooked product. [abstract] Southern Poultry Science Society Meeting Abstracts.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A survey was conducted in which 40 environmental samples from raw and cooked product areas of 2 production lines were cultured for L. monocytogenes. The resulting isolates were subjected to molecular subtyping by ribotyping and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and compared to 25 isolates collected by plant personnel from product contact surfaces and fully cooked product suspected of being contaminated with L. monocytogenes. Eighty-nine environmental and product isolates were divided into 14 distinct ribogroups. Two ribogroups included isolates from fully cooked product; the members of these 2 ribogroups were subjected to further analysis by PFGE resulting in 4 PFGE clusters. L. monocytogenes from fully cooked product produced on line A was found to be indistinguishable from isolates collected from: 1) the spiral freezer exit conveyor on line A; 2) raw product contact surfaces on line B and; 3) drains in the cooked area of line B. L. monocytogenes from fully cooked product produced on line B was not found to be indistinguishable from isolates collected from: 1) an isolate detected in the drains in the raw product side of line B; and 2) the floor in the cooked product area of line B. Furthermore, common ribotypes of L. monocytogenes were detected in raw product collected in the slaughter facility supplying the cook plant and apparently surviving in the cook plant environment for as long as 6 months. These data show that fully cooked product can become contaminated with L. monocytogenes that resides on many surfaces within the further processing facility. The presence of the same strain of L. monocytogenes at different sites will make it difficult to pinpoint the direct source of contamination.