Bacteria that cause food poisoning prefer duck to beef

According to the fall meeting organized by Trinity (Dublin) Microbiology, bacteria that cause Listeria food poisoning can live on surfaces in a meat processing plant if certain other bacteria are present. .

Listeria species of single-celled single cell bacteria can become catastrophic for plants that process fresh or processed meat products. "They stick and surfaces and machines, then invade food products and potentially cause food poisoning ," said Professor Chiristine Dood from Nottingham University, UK.

Professor Dodd said: 'We have tested and found that the presence of a common food-destroying bacterium called Pseudomonas fluorescens can affect the ability to bind to Listeria surfaces'.

Nottingham's team of scientists found that Listeria is not good at sticking to stainless steel surfaces when competing with other bacteria. However, when Pseudomonas fluorescens has already clung to the surface, Listeria can bind to the same surface more effectively.

Duck meat juice at 250C is the most suitable condition for Liseria.(Photo: sflorg)

According to scientists, bacteria form communities on surfaces, called biofilms, that are able to tolerate detergents and even much higher antibiotics. Listeria exists in Listeria plants in part because they can increase resistance by grouping into biofilms. In addition, the bacteria can withstand the incredible drought, allowing them to survive on supposedly clean surfaces.

Dr Dodd said: 'We also consider the impact of different meat juices including cows, pigs, sheep, chickens and ducks. We found a significant difference in the ability to bind to Listeria's stainless steel surface at different temperatures, depending on which type of meat is used. Duck meat juice at 250C is the most suitable condition for Liseria ' . The excess of different meats can affect Listeria's ability to bind to surfaces by changing the surface of bacterial cells.

This means that the meat processing plant needs to change the cleaning and anti-bacterial processes depending on the processed meat product to avoid food poisoning outbreaks.