Bacteriocin producing meat starter cultures
Listeria in meat products
Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous organism and because it can be found in raw meat it is a significant threat also to the fermented meat producing industry. Sacco, Italy’s leading commercial culture manufacturer has developed a range of bacteriocin producing starter cultures for the control of L. monocytogenes in meat products as well as for other food products.
Listeria monocytogenes
Listeriosis accounts only for approx. 0.02% of registered foodborne illness but is responsible for about 30% of the deaths. Infections can be fatal for people with the very young, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with a compromised immune system being most susceptible. Listeriosis can trigger a variety of diseases from diarrhoea to blood poisoning and meningitis. It can provoke miscarriages and harm unborn and newborn babies.
Listeria is widespread in the environment and present in all types of raw food products. It is very resistant to the influence of various physical and chemical factors. For example, L. monocytogenes may grow at 0 to 45°C, at pH 4.5 to 9, and in 10% salt-in-water. It can survive 80°C for 3-5 seconds, can resist freezing and drying, aggregates in biofilms, and is quite resistant to many anti-microbial cleaning agents. Therefore, if it becomes established on food processing equipment, it can be very difficult to remove. As a result, the risk of re-comtamination and growth on processed food products is always a potential hazzard.
