Listeria spp. in ready-to-eat foods [Sulla presenza di Listeria spp. in alimenti pronti al consumo]

The authors investigated the presence and the level of contamination of Listeria spp. in different ready-to-eat foods. 44 of 320 samples analyzed were positive for Listeria spp. (13.75%). Foods more often contaminated were meat products (21%) and cheeses (13%). Although the most frequent species, on the whole, was L. innocua, L. monocytogenes, mainly serotype 1, was the predominant species in meat products. Levels of contamination were modest (≤ 100 MPN/g) in more than 80% of the positive samples. The authors stress the difficulties of a precise risk assessment of foodborne Listeriosis in the studied area.