Rapid detection and identification methods for Listeria monocytogenes in the food chain – A review

• Overview of currently available, rapid (<48 h) Listeria monocytogenes detection methods.
• Focus on naturally or artificially contaminated food and environmental samples.
• Summary of the most rapid and sensitive methods.
• Many methods as sensitive as standard methods, but much faster.

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative pathogenic saprophyte. It can cause a severe disease, listeriosis, which is currently considered to be one of the leading food-borne diseases worldwide. L. monocytogenes can be found in raw and processed foods. Particularly ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are sources of Listeria infections. RTE foods have a long shelf life, because they are stored at low temperatures and in vacuum or modified atmosphere packages. Additionally, they are usually consumed without any additional cooking. As L. monocytogenes can multiply over a wide range of pH and osmolarity, at low temperatures, and both under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, this is a particular concern and necessitates control along the food chain. A wide variety of culture and alternative methods have been developed in order to detect or quantify this pathogen in food. Here are presented the most rapid and sensitive methods (<48 h) found in the literature that have been used with artificially and/or naturally contaminated food samples. In addition to being much more rapid, many of them were as sensitive as the standard methods. However, many methods still need to be more thoroughly validated.