Caramel apples punctured with dipping sticks and left unrefrigerated over the course of a couple of weeks may harbor a bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes, according to a study published this week in mBio®, an online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
Studying listeria growth on a group of Granny Smith apples dipped in caramel and stored at either room temperature or in the refrigerator, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Food Research Institute found the average population of L. monocytogenes increased 1,000-fold on caramel apples with sticks stored at room temperature for three days. By contrast, listerial growth was delayed on caramel apples without sticks stored at room temperature.
FoodWorld 