In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we talk with Martin Wiedmann, Ph.D., D.V.M., the Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety and Food Science at Cornell University, about his research on Listeria and Salmonella, his work to strengthen foodborne illness surveillance and response, his use of whole genome sequencing (WGS), and other topics.

A recent study assessed the presence and persistence of Listeria monocytogenes in Danish ready-to-eat (RTE) food production environments to evaluate the efficacy of a Listeria awareness campaign. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis was also performed to characterize the isolates.

Fresh Ideation Food Group of Baltimore, Maryland has recalled more than 400 products due to the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. Vendors that sold recalled products include Amtrak, which served affected foods to its customers on the Acela and Northeast regional train lines.

bioMérieux’s new GENE-UP® ENVIROPRO™ detects both Salmonella and Listeria from environmental swabbing, including PCR confirmation.

This article presents the key findings of outbreak investigations from 2014–2021 that have been linked to the consumption of fresh, soft queso fresco-type cheeses in the U.S. The authors outline some of the specific circumstances that small manufacturers of all cheeses may encounter in an effort to provide lessons learned and highlight available resources.

Using whole genome sequencing (WGS), researchers from the University of Johannesburg have identified a trend of nonpathogenic Listeria strains developing concerning characteristics, such as virulence and stress resistance. Like the pathogenic L. monocytogenes, the “harmless” strains L. innocua and L. welshimeri are common to food processing facilities.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we talk to Jovana Kovacevic, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Food Safety Extension Specialist at Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center (OSU’s FIC). Dr. Kovacevic discusses her work at FIC, which includes developing educational materials for industry related to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), and conducting research on Listeria monocytogenes in an effort to better control the pathogen.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update the protocol for the development and registration of antimicrobial treatments for preharvest agricultural water, removing Listeria monocytogenes from the organism test panel.

The European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) has released 2021 epidemiological reports for common foodborne illnesses listeriosis, campylobacterosis, hepatitis A infection, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection, salmonellosis, and yersinosis.

Failure to plan, design, implement and upkeep good Safety Management Systems (FSMSs)along with a strong, positive food safety culture often leads to compromised food safety and subsequent foodborne illness outbreaks at food processing organizations. This phenomenon is observed with a much higher incidence in medium-and small-sized food companies. In this article, ice cream listeriosis outbreak case studies provide context for the importance of PRPs, GMPs, and process control in preventing foodborne illness outbreaks.