FROZEN VEGETABLE SAFETY

Managing Listeria in a dynamic frozen vegetable processing environment

Picture: Kathrin Kober-Rychli

Picture: Nadja Pracser

Picture: Nadja Pracser

Vegetables are a main pillar in human nutrition. However, the supply of fresh vegetables is limited; therefore frozen vegetables have revealed a wide acceptance and request due to the all year availability and the extended shelf life. Since vegetables are often harvested from dirty environment like soil, the introduction of undesired microbes into the food production plant and the food product potentially occurs. Pathogens, among them Listeria monocytogenes can survive the frozen conditions and might be a health risk when cooking instructions are not followed and frozen products are added directly to smoothies or salads. The aim of this project is to reduce the occurrence of Listeria in a frozen vegetable processing plant. Therefore, we plan to monitor Listeria in a dynamic frozen vegetable processing environment, identify contamination hotspots and transmission routes and characterize persistent Listeria strains.

Lead Researcher:

Dr. Kathrin Kober-Rychli 

Work Group Leader
Centre for Food Science and Veterinary Public Health,
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna

Kathrin.Rychli@vetmeduni.ac.at
+43 1 25077-3510  
www.vetmeduni.ac.at