Listeria Explained

Everyone is getting antsy these days about the Listeria outbreaks that are cropping up throughout the US. The questions are what is it exactly and where can it grow. A few simple answers is all it takes to understand this bacteria. It is dangerous but it can be completely avoided with the right food choices.

The bacteria has actually been around for decades. It was the 1920s when two researchers independently identified Listeria monocytogenes from animal outbreaks. It is responsible for the relatively rare listeriosis. The disease primarily affects pregnant women,fetuses, newborns, those with weakened immune systems and the elderly. One form of it is meningitis. Healthy people rarely become sick from it however it can happen.Listeria can be found in soil, water and some animals such as cattle and poultry.It can also live in food processing plants and contaminate a variety of processed meats or foods.. Unlike many germs, it can grow in cold temperatures such as the inside of a freezer or refrigerator.It is usually killed by cooking and pasteurization.The symptoms are flu like and  could easily be confused  with a virus. Sufferers go through diarrhea along with fever, stiff neck, vomiting and weakness.There is also confusion in some cases. Most people are immune to the bacteria, but there are no tests yet to determine this,

What foods can it contaminate?It's ready to eat deli meats along with hot dogs however it could also affect veggie based products as we saw a few weeks ago with Amy's . The company's pizzas , lasagna and enchiladas were hit thanks to bad spinach.The reason for this is the manure used from infected cows or again from  the soil that the plants grow in..Fruits can also be contaminated as seen in an outbreak in California canteloupes. Several hundreds were thrown out of Colorado supermarkets thanks to the fruit being sprayed with contaminated water.  Dairy products can also be victimized too, Blue Bell Ice Cream had to be taken off  supermarket shelves throughout the southern US.The company, one of the largest ice creameries in the country had a total recall of all their products from their gallon containers to their ice cream pops.This is rare however because it is found in unpasteurized milk or foods made with unpasteurized milk.There is also the chance that it could be found in beef cuts as well as in raw chicken.Luckily any method of cooking can kill it. Some fish can also have it however the smoked kind is safe.

As with all foods, it's better to be safe than sorry. Wash fruits and veggies thoroughly .Cook meats thoroughly and be on the look out for food alerts.It's the best way of dealing with Listeria before it deals with you.