Listeria Analysis monocytogenes in environmental and food samples
10-minute quick learning: worldwide standards for Listeria monocytogenes detection
Listeria is a common bacterium in nature, and Listeria monocytogenes is one
of the most dangerous pathogens, capable of causing serious foodborne diseases and infections. Food products and lab environs must consequently be tested for Listeria Analysis monocytogenes. International agencies regulate the testing process to ensure customer safety. But how can you stay within these regulatory guidelines while ensuring the most accurate results? We’ll walk you through the ISO 11290, FDA-BAM, and USDA-FSIS Listeria monocytogenes testing workflow and show you how our solutions can help you stay compliant.
Steps to a Comprehensive Listeria Analysis Testing Solution
In an effort to improve food safety programmes and protect the general public from foodborne illness, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) issued a final ruling on Listeria monocytogenes control in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and poultry Salmonella analysis in December 2004. It is deemed adulterated if a ready-to-eat product contains L. monocytogenes or comes into direct contact with a contaminated food contact surface. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rate of listeriosis reduced by 35% between 1996 and 2002, although L. monocytogenes still causes 2,493 cases of foodborne listeriosis and 499 deaths each year.
To prevent listeriosis, regulations suggest that Listeria species be completely absent from the food environment,
such as their presence indicates poor hygiene procedures in the handling of raw materials and finished products. Routine testing of high-risk products
that could enable the establishment of Listeria is crucial for both preventing sickness and avoiding costly food recalls.
Listeria Analysis Testing
Food firms have responded by altering their testing processes and increasing the number of environmental tests conducted, which poses a variety of difficulties. While firms want to make sure their test procedures are effective, they also need to satisfy corporate goals like increasing efficiencies and lowering testing costs. Many businesses are turning to “complete testing solutions,” such as those provided by Strategic Diagnostics Metal Analysis Inc. (SDI), a prominent developer of immunoassay-based test kits for field and laboratory use, as well as the maker of the RapidChek screening systems for foodborne pathogens like Listeria.
According to Dr Orla Cloak, SDI senior research scientist and product manager, a total solution encompasses enrichment, assay, and result confirmation, and provides real-world benefits such as labour savings, storage, training, and a lower total cost of ownership. “As regulations tighten and consumer demands for the quality rise, it’s critical to find a comprehensive testing solution that meets the needs of the customer.”
Listeria Methodology
An excellent example is the RapidChek Listeria species test for RTE meals and environmental samples, which was
approved by AOAC International in June 2004. RapidChek Listeria is a next-generation immunoassay that combines the excellent quality and performance of a PCR-based assay with the convenience of a lateral flow device. “There is a frequent misconception in the marketplace that lateral flow devices are simple
to use but of lower quality than PCR-based approaches, however, this is not the case,” says the author. Cloak explains. “Advances in enrichment systems and lateral flow optimization have made these systems as sensitive and selective as
nucleic acid-based systems.” Listeria testing does not have to be a compromise for food firms. With an AOAC-validated lateral flow-based technique, they can have both ease of use and cutting-edge technology, improve training efficiency, and lower the overall cost of usage.”
Enrichment System
In comparison to many other foodborne infections, It is essential that the enrichment component of the test system provides adequate recovery of any Listeria present. This is critical not just for recovering the target but also for a testing system’s overall sensitivity and specificity. Enrichment that promotes Listeria growth while suppressing other bacteria will minimise overall time to result and improve the detection system’s sensitivity
Precision
False positives involve additional costs for confirmation, whereas false negatives risk testing system failure, which could
lead to product recalls, brand defamation, and damage to the company’s reputation in the marketplace. A testing system must be able to detect all Listeria species present, have
a low false positive/negative rate, and have a detection limit of 1 cell per 25 g of material.
Verification
The majority of procedures on the market have received AOAC certification, which is considered a requirement for acceptance. This indicates that
the approach has been evaluated, questioned, and
peer-reviewed and it meets or exceeds the requirements set by reference methods.
Education
Excessive training, as well as the costs and time associated with it, can be reduced
by using a simple procedure that produces precise and dependable outcomes. The likelihood of human mistakes is reduced when
the testing technique has few steps and is simple to comprehend,
which increases confidence in the ultimate result. Additional advanced technology approaches necessitate more training, and management spends a lot of time and money educating
new lab workers due to frequent turnover.
The economy.
The entire cost of a testing system is a crucial consideration in any test evaluation. Testing is a costly procedure. The processes involved in the method, media preparation, transfers, run
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