Listeria monocytogenes en productos cárnicos curados:Incidencia, supervivencia y control mediante tratamientos de altas presiones y bioconservación

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic bacterium that causes listeriosis, a disease mainly caused by the consumption of contaminated ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, being meat products the most frequently associated with cases of listeriosis. Dry-cured ham is a cured RTE meat product widely accepted in the Spanish market and whose export to other countries has increased significantly in recent years. It is considered a safe product due to its low water activity (aw) and high salt content, but it can be contaminated with L. monocytogenes during the deboning and slicing operations prior to commercialization. European regulations allow up to 100 CFU/g of L monocytogenes in products that cannot support its growth or that are not intended for infants and for special medical purposes, while other countries, such as USA, apply more restrictive policies of zero tolerance or absence in 25 g of product...