The main agent of listeriosis is the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, which poses a significant threat to food production. Compliance with food hygiene rules is the key to protection against this infection.
To minimise the risk of contamination, it is important to maintain a consistently high level of cleanliness in production facilities, including thorough cleaning and disinfection of equipment and work surfaces, even though the bacteria are difficult to eliminate completely.
Strategies for controlling Listeria
Listeria is unique in its ability to survive in conditions where other microorganisms would die. These bacteria can thrive even at low water activity (0.92), which allows them to multiply on a wide variety of surfaces, including those kept cool and moist.
Methods for preventing the spread of Listeria
Controlling moisture is fundamental in combating these resistant bacteria. It is important to keep equipment and surfaces not only clean but also dry, especially where there is direct contact with food. Water use should be limited to cleaning and disinfection procedures. Afterwards, work areas must be dried thoroughly to prevent a moist environment that favours Listeria. It is also important to pay attention to the cleaning sequence, avoiding contamination of clean surfaces during washing.
Hygiene fundamentals in food production
When designing a food plant, it is essential to build cleanliness and ease of maintenance standards into the design of all surfaces and equipment. The main goal is to eliminate areas where dirt can accumulate and which are inaccessible to mechanical cleaning, making disinfection ineffective. It is also critically important to train staff to identify and eliminate potential hazards in order to ensure a high level of food safety.
Preventing Listeria biofilm formation
Listeria is a Gram-positive, non-spore-forming bacterium capable of reproducing at low temperatures and at pH 4.6 to 9.5. The European standard EN 13697 emphasises that disinfection with standard products effectively kills new cells of this bacterium. It is important to follow the prescribed dosage and frequency of disinfectant use. Bacteria can only be removed effectively from properly cleaned surfaces.
The problem of biofilms in food production
Production challenges in the food industry are often associated with biofilms. These structures, in which microorganisms bind together and form a viscous protective layer, are resistant to ordinary cleaning. Biofilm consists mainly of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), cell debris and minerals. They commonly form on floors, drains, parts of bottling equipment and seals. Preventing biofilm formation is critical, as standard cleaning methods are powerless against them. Removing them requires specialised cleaning procedures selected individually depending on the situation.
Partnership for hygiene in food production
Our company's experts are ready to offer a professional selection of cleaning and disinfecting solutions, and to carry out a detailed inspection of areas in your food production facility where cleanliness may be lacking. Working hand in hand, we will help you achieve the ideal level of cleanliness for your products, premises and process equipment.