Listeria is a common environmental organism that can be isolated almost anywhere and thrive in wet dirty cool area. Listeria is found in most food factories, particularly in floors, drains, coolers and drip trays, as well as on raw materials, pallets, trucks etc.

This makes Listeria a significant hazard in the manufacture of Ready-To-Eat (RTE) foods. Following thermal processing, the main environmental control measures are containment and prevention.

There are several different types of methods for the detection of Listeria. Simple, rapid screening methods provide a significant benefit because they quickly eliminate the negative samples and do not require a skilled analyst and expensive hardware, saving time and cost. Two rapid screening methods can be used in conjunction for an effective Listeria risk-management programme, including a non-specific rapid hygiene monitoring test based on ATP bioluminescence (such as Hygiena's SystemSURE Plus).

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