A recent inspection of 115 Swiss food companies revealed numerous deficiencies in controls for Listeria monocytogenes. The Swiss Association of Cantonal Chemists, which carried out the inspection and published the report, announced that 65 percent of the companies it reviewed did not meet Swiss food law requirements.
The Cantonal Chemists found that the most common deficiencies were related to infrastructure, product hygiene, and control of the production environment. Criminal charges were filed in three cases.
L. monocytogenes is of particular concern in Switzerland, as the nation has recently experienced several listeriosis outbreaks. L. monocytogenes contamination is most common in raw and ready-to-eat foods.
