Verification of DuPont BAX Real-Time Listeria monocytogenes Detection Kit in Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogen of great concern in the dairy industry and throughout the last several years has proven a deadly contaminate in ice cream specifically. In 2015, two major recalls of ice cream have occurred in the United States due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Listeria species are well adapted to persist within factory settings. Due to this adaptation, Listeria species are a concern not only in dairy manufacturing facilities but also in all ready-to-eat food manufacturing settings. Microbiological testing is performed and often identifies Listeria, specifically Listeria monocytogenes, on food contact surfaces and associated with raw ingredients. DuPont BAX has developed a new rapid Listeria monocytogenes Detection kit but has only performed validation on a few food matrices. This research is a verification study of the DuPont BAX Real-Time Listeria monocytogenes kit in dark chocolate ice cream. Verification on this detection kit could significantly speed up the time to a result for the frozen dairy industry on problematic food matrices.