| Abstract: | Two rapid screening methods [the TECRA Listeria Visual Immunoassay (LIS-VIS) kit, an AOAC-approved 48 h visual test, which detects Listeria through colorimetry, and BCM Listeria isolation and differentiation plating agar] were used to screen U.S. Food and Drug Administration-regulated commodities for the presence of Listeria spp. Seventy-four different food samples were screened for the presence of Listeria spp. by using both protocols. Test results for the TECRA LIS-VIA showed 66 negative samples and 1 false positive, with 4 confirmed as L. monocytogenes and 3 as L. innocua. With the BCM agar, 67 samples were negative, 4 were confirmed as L. monocytogenes, and 3 were confirmed as L. innocua. Both methods showed similar results and were effective screening tools for Listeria spp. in foods. The BCM agar method proved to be a rapid, sensitive, and excellent tool for early screening and differentiation of Listeria spp. present in foods. |
