The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has published a report on the health risks associated with Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) and promoting a range of measures to reduce its prevalence in the Irish food chain.
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‘The Control and Management of Listeria monocytogenes Contamination of Food’ highlights a mortality rate of some 30% associated with Listeria food contamination and that only small amounts need to be consumed to cause serious infection.
The report identifies specific segments of the population at particular risk including pregnant women, young children, elderly people and people with impaired immune functions, and recommends they avoid certain foodstuffs. According to the FSAI, while L. monocytogenes infection can be described as rare, with six to seven cases in Ireland reported per annum, its serious nature and high mortality rate are cause for concern.
The report, detailing some 58 recommendations for risk prevention was prepared by the FSAI’s Microbiology Sub-committee, chaired by Prof Martin Cormican and adopted by its Scientific Committee, and concludes that tighter controls need to be adopted by both the food industry and consumers to limit the spread of this harmful foodborne bacterium. The FSAI’s report comes just weeks after an outbreak of L. monocytogenes infection in Switzerland associated with cheese consumption that resulted in the death of two elderly people, two miscarriages and a further six people hospitalised.
Foods typically associated with L. monocytogenes contamination include ready-to-eat products made with red-meat, poultry-meat and fish, including frankfurters, pâté, smoked salmon and fermented raw meat sausages. Commonly affected dairy products include soft cheeses, such as brie, camembert and roulade, semi-soft farmhouse cheeses and unpasteurised milk. Prepared salads, such as coleslaw, are foods which can support the growth of the pathogen. Ready-to-eat foods have been identified as a high risk food group as they are intended by the producer or manufacturer for direct human consumption, without the need for cooking or other processing methods usually associated with eliminating or reducing bacteria to levels acceptable for human consumption.
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By GlobalDataAccording to Prof. Albert Flynn, chairman of the FSAI’s Scientific Committee, “The majority of healthy people, who are not pregnant, can tolerate exposure to low levels of L. monocytogenes in their food, however symptoms for the identified risk sectors are potentially life threatening. Listeriosis in pregnancy may be associated with miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth of an infant with life threatening infection. In addition, symptoms of Listeriosis for elderly people or those with impaired immune function include high fever, shivering, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. It is estimated that six to seven cases per annum of L. monocytogenes infection are reported in Ireland, with one fatality recorded in 2000.”
“The infectious dose associated with L. monocytogenes is uncertain, however it is estimated that exposure to less than 1,000 cells may cause serious infection. This is very low when compared to Salmonella, another foodborne bacterial infection, where an individual must ingest over 100,000 cells of the bacteria to cause infection,” Professor Flynn said.
The average incubation period for the L. monocytogenes infection is three to four weeks but can also range from one to ten weeks. As such the bacteria can be present in the body for a period of weeks before infection becomes apparent, making it difficult to trace back to a particular food.
Dr. John O’Brien, chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, said that, “there is no question that the most effective point of control in managing the spread of L. monocytogenes in food products is at the stage of manufacturing or during food preparation and storage in the home. The implementation of a food safety management system and the provision of food safety training for all employees are legal requirements of all food businesses. Ensuring that every food business operates from a clean and sanitised premises should be the first basic step in combating the spread of L. monocytogenes in food products. Regular laboratory testing of food samples and the factory environment should also form a key element of the strategy adopted by the food industry. Meanwhile consumers are encouraged to play their part by adhering closely to all manufacturer instructions on ready-to-eat food products.”
According to Dr. O’Brien while the incidence of L. monocytogenes infection in Ireland may be rare at present, vigilance is necessary in ensure that this potentially life threatening food contaminant is kept under control.
