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Frozen Vegetable Processing Plants Can Harbour Diverse <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> Populations: Identification of Critical Operations by WGS
oleh: Pilar Truchado, María I. Gil, Ania Pino Querido-Ferreira, Cecilia López Capón, Avelino Álvarez-Ordoñez, Ana Allende
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2022-05-01 |
Deskripsi
Frozen vegetables have emerged as a concern due to their association with foodborne outbreaks such as the multi-country outbreak of <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> serogroup IVb linked to frozen corn. The capacity of <i>L. monocytogenes</i> to colonize food-processing environments is well-known, making the bacteria a real problem for consumers. However, the significance of the processing environment in the contamination of frozen foods is not well established. This study aimed to identify potential contamination niches of <i>L. monocytogenes</i> in a frozen processing plant and characterize the recovered isolates. A frozen vegetable processing plant was monitored before cleaning activities. A total of 78 points were sampled, including frozen vegetables. Environmental samples belonged to food-contact surfaces (FCS); and non-food-contact surfaces (n-FCS). Positive <i>L. monocytogenes</i> samples were found in FCS (<i>n</i> = 4), n-FCS (<i>n</i> = 9), and the final product (<i>n</i> = 1). A whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis revealed two clusters belonging to serotypes 1/2a-3a and 1/2b-3b). The genetic characterization revealed the presence of four different sequence types previously detected in the food industry. The isolate obtained from the final product was the same as one isolate found in n-FCS. A multi-virulence-locus sequence typing (MVLST) analysis showed four different virulence types (VT). The results obtained highlight the relevant role that n-FCS such as floors and drains can play in spreading <i>L. monocytogenes</i> contamination to the final product.