19 April 2010
Incoming raw poultry is the primary source of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in commercial chicken cooking plants, according to a 21-month study conducted by Agricultural Research Service (A.R.S.) scientists and their collaborators at the University of Georgia, Athens, and published in the Journal of Food Protection.
The researchers conducted their study in a new commercial cooking facility and began taking samples before the facility was operational. As a result, the research team was able to track the sources of contamination.
Within four months of operation, Listeria monocytogenes was detected in floor drains, indicating that the organism had been introduced from some outside source. No Listeria monocytogenes was recovered from any floor samples in the plant entryways, locker room or cafeteria. Likewise, the organism was not detected on air vent filters during the survey. The only tested source found to be consistently positive for Listeria monocytogenes was incoming raw poultry meat.