Although L. monocytogenes is generally considered
more heat-resistant than other non-spore-forming foodborne
pathogens, this organism should not survive normal
thermal processing conditions designed to cook RTE meat
products. Since L. monocytogenes is ubiquitously present in
the environment, particularly in the damp areas of food
processing facilities, it may contaminate products that have
been thermally processed. Although all cooked RTE meats
are supposedly free of L. monocytogenes, post-processing
recontamination can occur in the production facilities as
a result of construction, failure to control sanitation procedures,
poor employee hygiene, movement of supplies and
products, or other entry vectors (USDA/FSIS, 2004). A
joint study conducted by CDC and USDA reported that
the peeling operation was primarily responsible for the
recontamination of L. monocytogenes in a turkey frankfurter
production facility (Wenger et al., 1990). Therefore,
post-processing cross-contamination in the production
facilities can cause re-contamination of final products. To
reduce the risk of foodborne listeriosis, USDA-FSIS
requires manufacturers to adopt one of three alternatives
to ensure the safety of RTE meats (Federal Register,
2003). These alternatives include application of a postlethality
treatment alone and/or in combination with a
growth inhibitor for Listeria in the final products.