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Listeria monocytogenes is an ubiquitously occurring foodborne bacterial pathogen known to contaminate foods during the production processes. To assess the presence and persistence of L. monocytogenes in Danish ready-to-eat (RTE) food production companies in response to a Listeria awareness campaign, the production environment of selected companies were sampled in 2016 and in 2020. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed to characterize the isolates (n = 50, plus 35 isolates obtained from the routine surveillance during 2016–2020), including investigation of the presence of virulence, persistence and resistance genes. The number of companies that tested positive by culture was 17/39 (43.6%) in 2016 and 11/34 (32.4%) in 2020, indicating a limited effect of the campaign. WGS analyses of the 85 isolates showed that the most common sequence types (STs) were ST8 and ST121. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis showed that isolates coming from the same company and belonging to the same ST exhibited <10 SNP differences regardless of the sampling year and whether the samples came from the environment or products, indicating the persistence of the specific STs. Several prevalent STs were found in clinical cases concurrently, including genetically similar isolates. This highlights the issue of persistent L. monocytogenes in the food production environment and the need for improved risk communication and mitigation strategies.

Global Reliable Data on Antimicrobial Use (AMU) in food animals was estimated at 63,000 tons annually in 2015 and is projected to increase by almost 70% in 2030 [1]. The global program on surveillance of antimicrobial consumption was launched in 2015 by WHO to tackle the problem of a lack of quality antimicrobial use (AMU) data and a standardized methodology for data collection [2]. Data on AMU is fundamental for countries to establish national and local antimicrobial stewardship programs [2]. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat to health and tackling AMR in animals through the aid of AMU information is a means of protecting public health. The rise in global antimicrobial resistance [3] necessitates the need for the estimation of AMU in the country. This will aid policy decision-making regarding the use of antimicrobials and further give direction regarding the reasons behind specific antimicrobial resistance in the country. In developing nations like Nigeria, data on antimicrobials is underestimated due to the illegal import of drugs as a result of the porosity of our borders. This study aimed at determining the quantity and pattern of veterinary AM used in the country within the study period.

Listeriosis is a foodborne infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes. The clinical spectrum of listeriosis ranges from mild to invasive disease including bacteraemia or meningitis. Listeria monocytogenes can also be transmitted from mother to fetus in utero or to the neonate during birth. Risk factors for invasive disease include immunosuppression, advanced age, and pregnancy. The incubation is longer than for most foodborne pathogens, usually a few weeks. In Denmark, invasive forms of listerioses in humans are monitored in the Danish surveillance system. The 30-day mortality of registered cases of listeriosis is about 25% [1].

Vi har i Danmark et rigt og varieret udbud af fødevarer, der tilgodeser vores ernæringsmæssige behov, ligesom danske virksomheder er storeksportører af fødevarer. Nogle fødevarer indeholder imidlertid også skadelige bakterier eller kemiske stoffer, der kan udgøre en sundhedsrisiko. DTU Fødevareinstituttet vurderer mikrobiologiske og kemiske risici i hele jord-til-bord-kæden og rådgiver danske og udenlandske myndigheder og virksomheder på baggrund af disse risikovurderinger. På den måde spiller instituttet en vigtig rolle i at opretholde en høj fødevaresikkerhed og bidrager til at sikre, at mennesker – både i Danmark og i udlandet – ikke bliver syge af den mad, de spiser.

Fødevarestyrelsen (FVST) har bedt DTU om en vurdering af eventuelle risici og effekt ved tilsætning af carnobakterier til fiskeprodukter med henblik på at hæmme vækst af Listeria monocytogenes.

DTU Fødevareinstituttet har fået en henvendelse fra en borger, der er ved at starte en fødevarevirksomhed, som skal producere økologisk tørret kød. Det tørrede kød produceres bl.a. ved at der de første 24 timer er UV-lys tændt for at hæmme bakterievæksten. I den forbindelse spørger borgeren DTU Fødevareinstituttet, om instituttet har kendskab til en tilsætningsstof, der kan hæmme svamp-/mugdannelse og som gerne må anvendes til økologisk produktion. I forlængelse af det, spørger borgen om det er en nødvendighed at tilsætte midler for at hæmme svamp/mug.

Med mail fra Fødevarestyrelsen af 6. november 2018 anmodes DTU, Fødevareinstituttet om en risikovurdering af fund af Listeria i kødpålæg. Det er oplyst at Listeria monocytogenes er påvist ved kvalitativ analyse ved undersøgelse af 25 gram i 3 af 5 prøver, men at der ikke er påvist Listeria ved kvantitativ analyse, altså under 10 L. monocytogenes pr. gram. Det er endvidere oplyst at varen er vurderet til at have en holdbarhed på 4 dage, hvilket er oplyst til kunder ved salg.

Fødevarestyrelsen har fået en henvendelse fra en planteavlskonsulent, der søger dispensation for at gødske med nedfældet gylle fra en ejendom i niveau 2 for Salmonella Dublin på marker med afgrøder til direkte konsum. Planteavlskonsulenten skriver at gyllen skal nedfældes i jorden ca. 1 uge før plantning i foråret. Der plantes blomkål og broccoli, hvor det er kålhovederne, der høstes ved skæring med kniv. Grøntsagsproducenten er certificeret under Global Gap.

This paper deals with the shelf life of food in relation to quality and food safety. It is stated that quality and food safety are two separate issues, and seeks to establish the conditions when shelf life becomes a food safety concern.

During a 20-case-outbreak of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O26:H11 in 2007 in Denmark, two of the cases were also found to be infected with Yersinia enterocolitica. The source was an organic semi-dried fermented sausage and the question was: “Could Y. enterocolitica have survived, or even multiplied, during the production of the suspected sausage?” To elucidate this, the ComBase Predictor (CBP) and the Pathogen Modeling Program (PMP) were used as support tools. From information on the company’s website, it was calculated that the water phase salt changed from 4.6% to 8.0% during production and pH changed from 5.5 to 4.7. No nitrite was used. Predictions of growth/reduction of Y. enterocolitica and E. coli in a matrix covering these pH- and WPS-values were compared at 24°C mimicking fermentation temperature, at 16 and 5°C mimicking drying and storage temperatures, respectively. The results showed that Y. enterocolitica would be able to multiply during the first part of the production. Compared to E. coli growth of Y. enterocolitica was predicted to be slower in the beginning of the fermentation but faster in the end with CBP and faster during the whole fermentation with PMP. CBP predicted that an increase of one log-unit took approx. 50 h at conditions in the beginning of the drying period and approx. 100 h in the middle. During storage growth of Y. enterocolitica would only be expected in case of production failures, such as insufficient drying or addition of a too low amount of salt to the batter. A deterministic model was constructed in Microsoft Excel using information on the production of the implicated sausage. This model predicted the level of Y. enterocolitica to increase 2.3, 4.2 and 7.8 log-units during fermentation, drying and storage, respectively. At the point of release of the sausage for sale, 1 Y. enterocolitica could have increased to 106 and the sausage could, therefore, not be ruled out as the source of Y. enterocolitica found in two of

The development of the use of microbiological examinations in Danish food control is described. At the end of the millennium an increased number of cases of food-borne disease caused by zoonotic microorganisms necessitated a new strategy. The developments of international concepts and risk analyses procedures have been valuable guides on this route. The organisation of the Danish control structure is described, as well as a summary of the experiences with the new strategy that have been gathered until now.