Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The main objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of Listeria spp. in Portuguese domestic refrigerators and to
evaluate some of the hygienic practices in the domestic environment that might contribute to the persistence of the organisms. It was found that L. monocytogenes was present in 3 domestic refrigerators of the 86 investigated. L. grayi and L. innocua were also isolated
from 4 and 1 refrigerators, respectively.
Overall, the information obtained from our survey demonstrates the need for consumer education in Portugal regarding safe food
handling practices. For the refrigerators investigated, ≈71% were operating at a temperature higher than 6.1ºC, 87% were cleaned only monthly or less frequently, and only 8% were cleaned with appropriate proprietary cleaning products available in supermarkets.
Description
Keywords
L. monocytogenes Incidence Food safety
Citation
AZEVEDO, Inês ...[et al.] - Incidence of Listeria spp. in domestic refrigerators in Portugal. Food Control. ISSN 0956-7135. Vol. 16, n.º 2 (2005), p. 121–124
Publisher
Elsevier