<i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>: Its importance in the dairy industry

Abstract

Abstract Recent outbreaks of listeriosis associated with consumption of milk products contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes have focused attention on the importance of food‐borne transmission of this disease. This review outlines current knowledge of the incidence of L monocytogenes in raw milk and its incidence in, and ability to survive, the manufacturing process for other dairy products—notably soft cheeses. Discrepancies in results obtained by researchers concerning growth of the organism at refrigeration temperatures and the bacterium's ability to survive pasteurisation are discussed.