The incidence of Listeria monocytogenes in farm bulk milks in NE Scotland.
Raw milk samples (c. 20 ml) were taken from approximately 180 farm bulk tanks in the NE of Scotland on 3 occasions over a period from August 1987 to February 1988 and tested for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The maximum incidence of L. monocytogenes (3.8%) was found in the August sampling, with incidences of 1.02% and 2.7% in October and February. Direct enrichment of 0.1 ml was negative and only 2 of the total of 14 positives were obtained by direct enrichment using 1.0 ml of milk, the remainder requiring cold enrichment over a period up to 8 weeks. These findings are similar to two recent USA surveys which suggest that is positive milks the number of L. monocytogenes per ml is in the order of 1 organism per ml.
Fenlon
D R
DR
North of Scotland College of Agriculture, Aberdeen, UK.
Wilson
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*; D012606:Scotland; D012621:Seasons