The dairy industry has learned quite a bit about Listeria since a major outbreak in 1985. Controlling Listeria is an issue of effective cleaning, not sanitizer effectiveness.

Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono)is a gram-positive bacterium and a specific member of the Listeria family. It is capable of causing severe illness and even death. The mortality rate from L. monoin susceptible populations is one of the highest of any known food pathogen. Individuals with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable.

Effective training of plant and quality assurance personnel is essential to achieving quality and food safety standards. The training should involve both technical and practical applications of the process. In addition, it must involve all employees, especially Bubba and his counterparts — Junior, Leroy, “They” and “Supposed To.”

In general, prior to the mid-1980s, the sanitation of non-product contact surfaces on the environment was not a high priority.

Is HACCP enough to keep your plant out of the headlines?

Improving Quality by Line Sampling and Stress Testing

The primary goal of quality assurance (QA) is to ensure safety and quality attributes of products produced and distributed by a processing plant.

A guide to reducing bacteria counts in dairy products produced following weekend or mid-week "down days"

Ropy Milk: A Serious Quality Problem in 2006!

The dairy industry loses millions of dollars every year from product deterioration caused by spoilage bacteria. Spoilage bacteria result in shorter shelf life and decreased quality for milk products. By identifying the specific types and numbers of microbes involved, we can improve shelf life and quality by reducing bacterial contamination.