Analysis of Listeria monocytogenes control in Ready-To-Eat (RTE) cooked meat processing sector

Annual Research Conference 2014IPAR, January, 29th , 2015

Ms. Grace IrakizaMSc in Food Quality Management

Contents IntroductionProblem situationResearch QuestionResearch methodologyResults & discussionOverall conclusion and recommendations

IntroductionListeria monocytogeneses (L.m) is a gram (+)

bacteriafacultative anaerobic,Psychrotrophic (survive or thriving in a cold

environment)It can grow at pH (4.3-8.9) and temperature (0.5-

450C) range (warriner & Namvar, 2009).

Osmotalerant (high salt concentrations up to 20% w/v and low water activity aw 0.91) (warriner & Namvar, 2009).

causative agent of listeriosis, major food safety concern to the ready-to-eat (RTE) food manufacturing sector (Adam, 2003)

Problem situationMuch research on L. monocytogenes control measures

in RTE foods is available but there is increase in Listeria contamination in RTE cooked meat processing plants.

Several outbreaks of listeriosis have been linked to the consumption of ham, deli meats and hotdogs contaminated with L. monocytogenes (EFSA, 2009a; Warrier et al., 2009; FSIS, 2006).

In Rwanda, the sources of food contamination are not clearly known and therefore effective control measures (CM) do almost not exist.

It is very difficult for Rwandan food companies to export to highly lucrative markets due to stringent food safety standards

Overall research questionIs the problem of L. monocytogenes contamination in RTE cooked meat processing plants due to the ineffective L. monocytogenes control measures ?

Research aim

To gain an insight into key factors that might have an influence on the effectiveness of L. monocytogenes control measures in order to develop analytical framework that can be used to analyse possible causes of inadequate control activities (typical failures) in RTE cooked meat processing plants.

Particularly, how it can be applied in Rwanda.

Research methodology

Systematic literature review

To identify sources and causes of contamination

Development of analytical framework

Expert interviews

To analyse factors influencing effectiveness

of Listeria CM

Validation of analytical framework

Identify typical failures in place

Major Sources and factors influencing of L.m contamination

-Inadequate time and

temperature of cooking

-Poor personel hygiene-FH’s

behaviour

Personel

Raw material/ingredient

s

-Initial concentration

of Listeria-Direct food

contact-Inadequate Temperature

holding

-Zoning-

Contaminated raw material

-Facility lockage -Hygienic design of

equipment -Cleaning procedures

Processing

environment

-Zoning-Hygienic design of equipment-Cleaning

agents-Inadequate calibration

Processing

equipment

Analytical framework

Set-up validation study

: in

practice

:mo : more

dominant :theoretical ideas, latest research results & new technologies : methodologies & new technologies in practices. relevance importance

relevance

importance failures

Aim Importance of control measures and factors

Typical failures in execution on control activities

Relevance of control measures and factors

expertsacademia

professionals

questionnaire

Listeria CM

Factors

Expert interview

Results & discussionControl measures (CM)

Factors Relevance (%) Rating

A(n=4) P(n=7) Total (n=11) %

A (n=4) P(n=7) Total (n=11)

V I

I N SI NI

VI I N SI NI

VI I N 

SI 

NI 

1)Preventive measures

 

Sanitation and disinfection

  4 7 100 4         6  

1 

  

  

  

10 

1 

  

  

  

  Sanitation and disinfection procedures 4 7 100 3 1       6 1       9 2      

  Sanitation program 4 7 100 3 1       5 2       8 3      

  Personnel hygiene 4 7 100 1 3       6 1       7 4      

  Food safety and hygiene training 4 7 100 3 1       7         10 1      

  Resources and facilities 4 7 100 2 2       4 3       6 5      

  Food handler’s behavior 4 7 100 3 1       5 2       8 3      

  Food safety culture 4 7 100 3 1       6 1       9 2      

Zoning   4 7 100 2 1 1     6 1       8 2 1    

  Building structure and conditions 4 7 100 1 3       4 2 1     5 5 1    

  Ventilation system 4 7 100   4       3 4       3 8      

  Cleaning and sanitation procedures 4 7 100 2 2       5 1   1   7 3   1  

  Food safety culture 4 7 100   4       5 2       5 6      

Hygienic design of the equipment

  4 7 100 3 1       3 4       6 5      

  Surface material 4 7 100 2 2       5 1 1     7 3 1    

  Cleaning procedures 4 7 100 3 1       3 3 1     6 4 2    

  Internal design of the equipment 4 7 100 3 1       4 2 1     7 3 1    

MAP   1 1 18.2       1     1         1   1  

  Design of the equipment 1 1 18.2   1         1         2      

  Personnel hygiene 1 1 18.2 1           1       1 1      

  Storage temperature 1 1 18.2   1         1         2      

Supplier control   2 6 67.8   1   2 1 3 3     1 3 4   2 1

  Microbiological sampling plan 4 7 100 2 1 1     3 3 1     5 4 2    

  Compliance to procedure 4 7 100 1 1 1 1   2 4   1   3 5 1 2  

  incoming raw material specification 

3 7 87.5 2   2     4 3       6 3 2    

Control measures (CM)

Factors 

Relevance (%) Rating

A(n=4) P(n=7) Total (n=11)%

A (n=4) P (n=7) Total (n=11)

VI I N SI NI VI I N SI NI VI I N SI NI

2) Intervention measures

         

PLT   4 7 100 3 1       5 2       8 3      

  Product characteristics 4 7 100 1 3       6 1       7 4      

  Equipment maintenance 4 7 100 1 3       4 3       5 6      

  Cooking temperature and time 4 7 100 4         7         11        

  Food handler’s behaviour 4 7 100 2 2       5 1   1   7 3   1  

AMA   4 0 36.4 3   1               3   1    

  Product characteristics 4 0 36.4 2 2                 2 2      

  Level of AMA added 4 0 36.4 3 1                 3 1      

  Added stage 4 0 36.4   3 1                 3 1    

3) Monitoring system  

Product monitoring   4 7 100 1 2 1     6         7 2 1    

  Initial concentration of L. monocytogenes in raw material

4 7 100 1 3       5   2     6 3 2    

  Sampling monitoring 4 7 100 2   2     5 2       7 2 2    

  Training for food handlers 4 7 100 1 2 1     6 1       7 3 1    

  Product specification 4 7 100 1 1 2     4 2 1     5 3 3    

  Food safety culture 3 7 87.5   3 1     5 2       5 5 1    

Process monitoring   4 7 100 4         5 2       9 2      

  Training on monitoring 4 7 100 3   1     6 1       9 1 1    

  Equipment maintenance 4 7 100 1 3       6 1       7 4      

  Hygienic design of the equipment 4 7 100 3 1       4 3       7 4      

  Food handler’s behaviour 4 7 100 3 1       4 3       7 4      

Environmental monitoring

  4 7 100 3 1       4 2   1   7 3 1    

  Design of the environmental testing 4 7 100 3 1       6 1       9 2      

  Response to a positive findings 4 7 100 3 1       6 1       9 2      

  Training on environmental monitoring 4 7 100   2 2     5 2       5 4 2    

  Food handler’s behaviour 4 7 100 2   2     7         9   2    

  Food safety culture 3 7 87.5 3 1       7         10 1      

Results & discussion cont.,Resource & personel information Facilities hygiene system

FHB FSC

equipment communicationmaintenance

food safety & cleaning/sanitation hygienic training procedures

Inadequate cooking movement ofTime and temperature people

Inadequate lack of Sampling plan feedback

Inadequate inadequate cleaning & personelsanitation hygieneProcedures inadequate calibration/ hygienic design

Most important factors influencing the

effectiveness of Listeria CM are probably:

The crucial failures during execution of

Listeria control activities are probably:

Overall conclusion and recommendations Most common failures in Listeria control are

inadequate cleaning and sanitation, inadequate hygienic design of equipment, inadequate food handler’s behaviour and inadequate sampling plan.

Overall analytical framework was valid, few changes advised ( MAP, AMA and supplier control)

Framework could be useful for systematic analysis of possible failures in case of listeriosis outbreak.

Further research to develop framework into “diagnostic tool” to analyze risk of inadequacies in Listeria control in RTE food companies

Thank you for your attention