RESULTS OF

1

• RESULTS OF
• LISTERIA SAMPLING
• IN
• CRAWFISH PROCESSING
• PLANTS

2
Project Approach

• Study 10 RTE seafood processing plants in the
  U.S. - 4 smoked fish (2 East Coast 2
  West Coast)
• - 4 crab (Chesapeake) 2 crawfish
  (Louisiana)
• Year 1 (2001) Track and evaluate Listeria
  contamination patterns in each plant using
  molecular DNA subtyping techniques
• Year 2 (2002) - Implement and evaluate
  intervention strategies their effectiveness
• Year 3 (2003) Conduct industry workshops to
  facilitate industry use of effective Lm controls
  

3
Summary of Sampling Results

• L. monocytogenes and other Listeria species were
  found on live crawfish
• Assume there are Listeria on every uncooked
  crawfish entering your facility
• Standard industry cooking process destroys
  Listeria
• Achieve an internal temperature of 180ºF
• Based on destroying pathogens

4
Summary of Sampling Results

• Primary risk of Listeria on processing surfaces
  and final product is through in-plant
  cross-contamination
• L. monocytogenes in finished product is a serious
  health risk to the consumer
• Discovery of Lm in your final product puts your
  business at risk to regulatory actions

5
Sampling Overview

• Sampling Goal - determine potential sources of
  Listeria and its spread through the process
• Two crawfish plants participated
• Two seasons weekly sampling
• 2001 2002
• Listeria control strategies training were given
  between seasons
• As the study progressed in the two plants,
  sampling locations were added

6
Sampling Sites

• Divided into 5 groups
• Raw Product samples
• Raw/In-Process areas
• Cooked/In-Process areas
• Food Contact Surfaces
• Finished Product samples

7
Sampling Sites

• Crawfish product samples (raw finished) were
  collected
• Surfaces were sampled by wiping with a moist
  collection sponge
• Non-food contact
• doors, drains, sinks, sealer, underneath tables
• Food contact
• colanders, tables, trays, scale, hands

8
Industry Production Notes

• Production for 2001gtgt2002 for both plants
• 4 5 times greater
• 2001 harvest 90 from ponds
• 2002 30-50 from wild harvest

9
Microbiology data results

• Different numbers colors mean different Lm
  (pathogens) ribotypes
• L.ssp means Listeria (non-pathogens) other than
  monocytogenes
• Raw Finished product had six lots tested at
  each sampling week
• - means no Listeria were found

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Plant C1-Raw Product

• Confirms presence of Listeria on live crawfish
• Raw crawfish are source of Listeria
• Multiple ribotypes (strains) of Lm and other
  Listeria species
• 2002 season larger incidence of Listeria
• 4 5 times greater production

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C1-Raw/In-Process

• Shows presence of Listeria and potential growth
• Potential of cross-contamination from raw, live
  crawfish
• Live crawfish falling on floor
• Employees handling raw, then cooked crawfish
• Handling raw crawfish, then area surfaces
• Travel between live collection/handling area and
  cook room
• Leaving raw crawfish containers in cook room/floor

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C1-Cooked/In-Process

• Further confirmation of kill step during cooking
• Potential cross-contamination from raw process
  area
• Drains single largest area of incidence
• Difficult to control remove Listeria once it is
  introduced
• A mostly wet, moist environment
• Favorable condition for Listeria growth

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Drain-to-Drain

• Potential methods of contamination
• Back-up/overloading of drains
• All rooms same connected system
• Via floors, travel between rooms
• Employees, equipment
• Control or stop employee travel between rooms
• Control equipment movement between peeling and
  packing rooms

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C1-Non-food Contact Surfaces

• Doors
• Example of potential cross-contamination
• Employee movement between rooms
• Live/raw crawfish to hands to doors
• Contaminated equipment or clothing to hands to
  doors
• Packing Room door
• Control employee movement
• Peeling Room into Packing Room
• Packing Room into Peeling Room

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C1-Food Contact Surfaces Finished Product
Samples

• End of Process, Highest Consequence
• Control at beginning, decrease risk at end
• No incidence of Listeria
• Confirms cooking process kills Listeria
• Achieve internal temperature of 180ºF
• Maintain control of product, equipment and
  employee sanitation and cross-contamination

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Plant C2-Raw Product Raw/In-Process Areas

• Again, confirms presence of multiple Listeria on
  live crawfish
• Greater incidence of Listeria in 2002
• Listeria harborage in drains, similar to C1
• No Lm found though
• No incidence found on employee hands

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C2-Cooked/In-Process Non-food Contact Surfaces

• Potential cross-contamination from raw, live
  crawfish
• Drains Doors
• Listeria in peeling room, not in packing room
  drains does includes Lm
• Mostly continuous wet, moist environment
• Favorable condition for Listeria growth
• Listeria found on packing room door
• Similar to plant C1

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C2-Food Contact Surfaces

• Repeated incidence of Listeria found
• Contamination of processing equipment
• Possibly trays on floor
• Listeria found in peeling room drain
• Trays back onto table
• Contamination of table
• Similar risk if product gets onto floor then table

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C2-Finished Product Samples

• Single incidence of Listeria confirms importance
  of preventing cross-contamination
• Listeria on food product surfaces provides high
  risk of contamination of finished product
• Tables, trays, colanders
• Need to control cross-contamination throughout
  process to prevent Listeria in packaged tail meat

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Overall Conclusions

• Live crawfish are a source of Listeria
  monocytogenes and other bacteria
• Proper crawfish cooking process kills Listeria
• Facilities can still possess Listeria
• Drains were the main location of contamination
• Cross-contamination of food processing surfaces
  and equipment can lead to Listeria in your
  finished product

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Overall Conclusions

• Preventing cross-contamination is Critical
• Live crawfish to plant surfaces
• Live product to cooked product
• Contamination of surfaces between cook, peeling,
  and packing rooms
• Equipment to product
• Food Safety, Product Quality, Good Business

31
Acknowledgements

• Johnathan Walker for collecting plant samples
• Martin Wiedmanns Laboratory at Cornell for
  microbiological testing and analysis
• USDA Food Safety Initiative for project funding