It’s no secret Listeria monocytogenes is the enemy of produce packinghouses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 1,600 people in the U.S. get sick, and about 260 people die from listeriosis.
Research at Penn State University looks at the challenges facing produce packinghouses when trying to eradicate foodborne pathogens — and the results might seem a bit surprising.
Jasna Kovac, associate professor of food science and a professor of food safety at the university, says listeria can grow at temperatures similar to the human body but also at low temperatures found in food processing facilities and refrigerated food storage.
“This means that if listeria ends up in a food processing environment like fruit packing facilities, it’s going to be able to grow on environmental surfaces if there’s nutrients present to support its growth,” Kovac said in this episode of the “Tip of the Iceberg” podcast.
FoodWorld 