Articles Tagged with ''listeria''

In 2024, UKHSA investigated seven listeriosis outbreaks across England and Wales, linked to various food products including smoked fish, chocolate and strawberry mousse, garlic sausage and pre-packed sandwiches.

Initially launched in 2024, the investigation was reopened in April 2025. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis confirmed that the strain of Listeria found at Fresh & Ready Foods LLC matches the strain of Listeria causing illnesses in this outbreak.

The 2023 annual report highlights a few noteworthy outbreaks: illnesses linked to toxins from morel mushrooms, lead linked to cinnamon in applesauce pouches, and Listeria monocytogenes linked to soft serve ice cream cups.

Collaboration between the two agencies suggests that the suspected source of the outbreak involves products under the jurisdiction of both.

This episode of Food Safety Five discusses two scientific advancements related to Listeria monocytogenes control: 1) a study that showed the effectiveness of combining antimicrobial blue light with chemical sanitizers for pathogen inactivation, and 2) the development of a new growth prediction model for L. monocytogenes in artisanal cheeses.  

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recently published its first annual report summarizing infectious disease trends, which noted increases in the incidence of infections by important foodborne pathogens like Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, and norovirus.

Although trends in Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks are important, it is more concerning that these outbreaks continue to occur despite industry efforts. This article explores the underlying causes of persistent L. monocytogenes outbreaks and emphasizes the need for leadership behaviors outside of food safety to transform organizational culture to eradicate or control L. monocytogenes.  

Researchers from the University of Córdoba in Spain have developed a model for predicting the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in artisanal cheeses, which will be especially useful to producers that must demonstrate compliance with recently expanded EU regulations for controlling the pathogen in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is investigating a listeriosis outbreak involving five illnesses and three deaths. Desserts served at healthcare facilities are being considered as the potential vehicle of illness. The desserts tested positive for low levels of Listeria monocytogenes, but have not been confirmed as the source of the outbreak.

This episode of Food Safety Five discusses two recent scientific studies that are advancing the food industry’s understanding of and ability to address Listeria monocytogenes, including new findings about the pathogen’s behavior in biofilms and a developing rapid detection method.