Silent Spoiler: Listeria Outbreak Raises Food Safety Concerns

From deli counters to dinner tables, food safety relies on careful research and strict hygiene measures. Listeria monocytogenes An outbreak linked to processed meats raises concerns, but researchers continue to work behind the scenes to ensure food safety standards are met.

Food safety scientists like Jennifer Acuff of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station are dedicated to improving the safety of fresh and processed foods and protecting food products from microbial contamination. Part of her work involves understanding how pathogens like listeria survive and spread, particularly in ready-to-eat foods.

“One of the goals of my research program is to try to control environmental conditions so that pathogens are not welcome in that environment,” Acuff said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is investigating a multistate outbreak linked to Boar’s Head brand meat. So far, 7 million pounds of product have been recalled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported nine deaths and 57 hospitalizations in 18 states.

“Every time we see Listeria monocytogenes “When we have an outbreak, we see high hospitalization rates and alarming mortality rates. And that’s because Listeria has this incredible ability to cause invasive infection,” Acuff said.

Acuff said listeria is unique because it is what scientists call a psychrotroph, meaning it can survive and grow in cold temperatures, unlike other foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella And Escherichia coli.

This characteristic makes ready-to-eat foods like cold cuts particularly vulnerable, as they can sit in the cold for long periods of time. And listeria and other pathogenic bacteria, According to Acuff, they are particularly dangerous because they do not visibly spoil food, unlike mold.

“We can’t see them on our food. There’s nothing that tells us that the food is spoiled by a pathogen,” she said. “Doing a smell test or looking at the food to see if it looks okay doesn’t tell us if listeria is present.”

Acuff is a cooperative extension specialist and also a member of the Center for Food Safety, which conducts research and develops technologies to detect, control and reduce foodborne pathogens, toxins and chemicals, improving food safety from production to consumption. The center is part of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Alberta System’s Division of Agriculture.

“These appointments provide me with great opportunities to integrate the research findings we study with what is actually applicable to our stakeholders in Arkansas – producers, consumers and scientists,” she said.

Where does listeria come from?

Listeria is a ubiquitous bacteria, meaning it occurs naturally in the environment, Acuff said, and contamination often signals a sanitation problem in food processing.

“When we see listeria associated with a ready-to-eat food product, it automatically sets off red flags because we don’t want to see it in the processing plant,” she said. “It’s very easy to find it accidentally, whether it’s on workers’ boots or clothing, or through leaks into the environment, or even through pests.”

FSIS reported several noncompliance violations at a Boar’s Head, Virginia, plant, including visible mold, debris and insects.

Mitigate risks

According to the CDC, symptoms of listeriosis, the disease caused by Listeria monocytogenescan take up to 10 weeks to appear, making it difficult to quickly determine the source of infection. Many immunocompetent people recover without medical care, so the true number of cases is likely higher than reported. However, immunocompromised people, such as pregnant women and those taking immunosuppressive medications, are particularly at risk.

Acuff said consumers can take steps to reduce their risk of Listeria exposure. If you have recalled products in your home, throw them out immediately. It’s also a good idea to clean any surfaces the product may have touched.

For general consumption, an effective prevention method is to heat deli meats to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which reduces the risk of Listeria infection. Acuff also encourages consumers to be proactive about food safety when eating out, especially during an ongoing outbreak.

“People should feel free to ask a restaurant where their charcuterie comes from. It’s perfectly okay to ask for more information,” she said.

While it’s impossible to produce food in a sterile environment, Acuff says it’s important to maintain strict hygiene standards to minimize risk.

“We can’t eat food without risk,” she said. “So it’s critical to be informed and know if I’m willing to take that risk.”

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture’s research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast, and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn more about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

About the Agriculture Division: The mission of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is to strengthen agriculture, communities and families by connecting reliable research with the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land-grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities in the University System of Arkansas. It has offices in all 75 Arkansas counties and faculty on five campuses across the system.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all of its extension and research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer.