Quantitative Risk Assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods

Listeriosis is a rare foodborne infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes, a 1-2 µm long bacillus that can multiply at low temperatures and in the presence of high salt concentrations, and results in 0.1 to 10 cases per million people per year according to the World Health Organization. This bacterium is ubiquitous-it can be found in water, soil, plants, and many animals-and it has the ability to contaminate ready-to-eat foods and food production sites. It is sensitive to heat but can multiply slowly at low temperatures.Often occurring sporadically, its widespread propagation in a broad range of foods can cause epidemics.The scope of this Special Issue on 'Quantitative Risk Assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods' is twofold: (1) we seek to present a critical analysis of the existing human listeriosis quantitative risk assessment models conducted on milk and dairy products, fresh produce, seafood, and meat products, highlighting common results from intervention strategies despite the unavoidable differences in model scopes and assumptions; (2) we also aim to present new quantitative risk assessment models encompassing a longer food chain scope, in the light of new data and approaches, to control listeriosis linked to specific foods such as frozen vegetables, cantaloupes, and ready-to-eat seafood.