Ocorrência de Listeria monocytogenes em linha de processamento de Beef Jerky

Abstract

The growing demand of consumers for convenience, stands out among the main trends in food consumption in the world. In this context is the beef jerky a meat product produced by thermal process that does not require refrigeration at the point of sale, ensuring practicality of use. However, being a food ready for consumption, should ensure its security and one pathogenic bacteria that, once present, can harm the health of consumers is Listeria monocytogenes. The objective of this research was to identify the occurrence of L. monocytogenes in a Beef Jerky production line located in the municipality of Bage, Rio Grande do Sul- Brazil. We evaluated 12 points along the processing line, including the raw materials, surfaces with and without contact with the product as well as the final product, in seven collections. Samples were analyzed in Mini Vidas® bioMérieux equipment and those that tested positive for L. monocytogenes, were subjected to PCR using the prs gene for gender confirmation and the inlA genes, inlC and inlJ to confirm the species L. monocytogenes. The overall occurrence of L. monocytogenes was 7.14% and 21.42% on surfaces without contact with product, 1.78% on product contact surfaces, and 28.57% in the raw material, however, it did not identify the pathogen in the final product. It is observed that the raw material is a major source of contamination and introduction of L. monocytogenes in producer Beef Jerky industry and the contamination by that micro-organism contact surfaces without contact with food, reinforces the importance of cleaning programs in order to avoid cross-contamination of the final product. However, since the final product (Beef Jerky) showed no contamination by L. monocytogenes, the steps of the production process involving barriers to multiplication of pathogens and microbial death, may have been effective in pathogen control.