title: Longitudinal studies on Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species in two salmon processing plants.
abstract: Two plants processing salmon fillets and cold smoked salmon were investigated for occurrence of Listeria in products and the environment. Analyses were conducted for a period of 31 weeks. At plant A, 252 samples were examined of which 97 were from unprocessed fish and 155 from cold-smoked fish. At plant B, 189 samples of unprocessed fish were investigated. The first examination of unprocessed fish at plant A showed a presence of L. monocytogenes and L. spp. in 81% and 19% of the samples respectively. For cold-smoked fish the figures were 43% and 23%. At plant B, L. monocytogenes was isolated in 63% of the samples. During the test period, management at the processing plant initiated various hygiene precautions to improve the sanitary situation. The last batch of analyses of unprocessed fish at plant A showed a presence of L. monocytogenes and L. spp. in 42% and. 33% of the samples respectively. For cold-smoked fish, the figures were 6% and 11%. The isolation figures at plant B for L. monocytogenes and L. spp. were 50% and 17% respectively. The hygienic precautions did not have a significant effect on the presence of L. monocytogenes and L. spp. We suggest that Listeria bacteria are a part of the resident flora and are not eliminated by current cleaning and sanitation programmes. Cold-smoking, however, gave a significant reduction in the isolation of L. monocytogenes (P = 0.0082), while the isolation of L. spp. did not decrease after this process.
authors: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, Telemark University College, Bø, Telemark, Norway. halvdan.klaboe@hit.no
authors: Halvdan
authors: H
authors: Klaeboe
authors: Olav
authors: O
authors: Rosef
authors: Mona
authors: M
authors: Saebø
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005506:Food Contamination; D005511:Food Handling; D006801:Humans; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012474:Salmon; D012499:Sanitation; D013696:Temperature