Usually, listeria contamination comes from poor cleanup after a “lot-size” of a product is complete. It thrives in a moist, colder environment. Lunch meat, hot dog, sausage etc, manufacturing environment can be prone to having listeria contamination. After a lot or a shift is complete, the machines and the rooms have to be cleaned. The machines disassembled, tables, and equipment are steamed. The walls, floor, and corners are wiped down with a bleach and water mixture. Rather than my simple commentary, here is an official statement. I worked at Oscar Mayer buying artwork, scheduling printed labels and cartons, sourcing carton (SBS and recycled) material, (lunchables I brought to market), etc. Listeria Past listeriosis outbreaks in the U.S. have
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Usually, listeria contamination comes from poor cleanup after a “lot-size” of a product is complete. It thrives in a moist, colder environment. Lunch meat, hot dog, sausage etc, manufacturing environment can be prone to having listeria contamination. After a lot or a shift is complete, the machines and the rooms have to be cleaned. The machines disassembled, tables, and equipment are steamed. The walls, floor, and corners are wiped down with a bleach and water mixture. Rather than my simple commentary, here is an official statement. I worked at Oscar Mayer buying artwork, scheduling printed labels and cartons, sourcing carton (SBS and recycled) material, (lunchables I brought to market), etc.
Listeria
Past listeriosis outbreaks in the U.S. have been linked to raw, unpasteurized milks and cheeses, ice cream, raw or processed vegetables, raw or processed fruits, raw or undercooked poultry, sausages, hot dogs, deli meats, and raw or smoked fish and other seafood. L. monocytogenes has also been found in raw pet food.
Preventing Foodborne Illness at Home
The longer ready-to-eat refrigerated foods contaminated with L. monocytogenes are stored in the refrigerator, the more opportunity this pathogen has to grow. To slow down or prevent the growth of L. monocytogenes, set the refrigerator to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius), and the freezer to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius).
Processes to prevent listeria contamination
Consumers should also follow these simple steps:
– Wash the inside walls and shelves of the refrigerator, cutting boards and countertops, and utensils that may have contacted contaminated foods; then sanitize them with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of hot water; dry with a clean cloth or paper towel that has not been previously used.
– Wipe up spills in the refrigerator immediately and clean the refrigerator regularly.
– Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food and following any cleaning and sanitation process.
– Pregnant women, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems should avoid certain foods, including unpasteurized or raw milk, cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, raw fish raw sprouts and some other raw foods, which carry a high risk for L. monocytogenes.
– People with pets should take special care to avoid cross-contamination when preparing their pet’s food. Be sure to pick up and thoroughly wash food dishes as soon as pets are done eating, and prevent children, the elderly, and any other people with weak immune systems from handling or being exposed to the food or pets that have eaten potentially contaminated food.
– Consumers can also submit a voluntarily report, a complaint, or adverse event (illness or serious allergic reaction) related to a food product.
Workers Get Boot as Boar’s Head Plant Behind Listeria Deaths Shuts Down, Common Dreams
About 500 workers lost their current jobs when Boar’s Head on Friday announced the closure of the Virginia meatpacking plant behind a deadly listeria outbreak.
A chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union, which represents the workers, said in a statement that the closure was “especially unfortunate” given that the workforce was not to blame for the outbreak, which killed at least nine people nationwide.
The UFCW announced that it had reached a deal with the company to allow the workers to transfer to another Boar’s Head facility or receive a severance package “above and beyond” what’s required by law. “Thankfully these workers have a union they can count on to always have their backs,” the union statement said.
We received some unfortunate news – the Boar’s Head plant located in Jarratt, Va. is closing indefinitely, impacting hundreds of workers at the facility. Read our statement: UFCW Local 400 (@UFCW400) September 13, 2024
The outbreak caused nine deaths and 57 hospitalizations and led to the recall of millions of pounds of Boar’s Head deli meat. The company has already been targeted in a number of wrongful death and other lawsuits.
Listeria, a bacterial illness, originated from the Boar’s Head plant in the small town of Jarratt, Virginia, as genome sequencing tests confirmed in late July. The company said this week that the contamination had come from liverwurst processing and announced it would discontinue the product.
A 2022 inspection of the plant found that it posed an “imminent threat” to public health, according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) records released this week. At the time, the plant already had “rust, mold, garbage, and insects on the plant floors and walls,” The New York Times reported.
Sarah Sorscher, a food safety expert at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told the Times that “they shouldn’t have allowed this company to keep producing ready-to-eat products, lunch meat that’s going to go on people’s tables, when they’re seeing this level of violation. Consumers had to die before this plant got shut down, really is the bottom line.”
More recent USDA records, which were released in late August, also showed wretched conditions at the plant.