A recent study published in Microbiology Spectrum highlights a new, streamlined workflow that can detect low levels of Listeria monocytogenes in food samples within 8 hours. Currently, traditional laboratory methods take 24 to 72 hours for detection. The Lead author Min Lin, Ph.D., a research scientist at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, conducted the study to develop a faster, more efficient process for identifying L. monocytogenes contamination in food.
The study has developed a streamlined detection workflow for Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium responsible for high-mortality foodborne infections. The researchers integrated methods such as culture enrichment, filtration-based sample preprocessing, magnetic separation, and real-time polymerase chain reaction into a sample-to-answer system. This workflow was tested on ground beef samples contaminated with as few as two to five L. monocytogenes cells in a 25-gram sample and successfully detected the bacteria within 8 hours. This rapid method could help improve food safety by enabling quicker identification of contamination in food and food processing environments.
The lead study author “Min Lin” emphasizes that once the streamlined procedure is thoroughly evaluated and implemented in food microbiology testing laboratories, it will significantly reduce the turnaround time for detecting L. monocytogenes in food samples. This advancement has the potential to greatly enhance the efficiency of food safety testing, allowing for quicker identification of contamination and more timely interventions. Looking ahead, Lin states that future research will focus on assessing this workflow’s effectiveness for detecting various strains of L. monocytogenes across a range of food matrices, particularly those naturally contaminated. Additionally, Lin expresses hope that this study will stimulate the development of a fully automated system capable of completing all steps of the workflow with minimal manual intervention, further improving speed and accuracy in food safety testing.
Extracted from Research Article “A streamlined procedure for advancing the detection and isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from artificially contaminated ground beef in a single working day”
published in Microbiology Spectrum – 25 February 2025.
Keywords
Listeria monocytogenes, food samples, detection, low levels, traditional methods, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, culture enrichment, filtration-based sample preprocessing, magnetic separation, real-time polymerase chain reaction, sample-to-answer system, ground beef, contamination, food safety, foodborne infections, rapid method, food microbiology testing, turnaround time, efficiency, interventions, strains, food matrices, natural contamination, automated system, manual intervention, accuracy