Wholegenome sequencing as the gold standard approach for control of Listeria monocytogenes in the food chain

Listeria monocytogenes has been implicated in numerous outbreaks and related deaths of listeriosis. In food production, L. monocytogenes occurs in raw food material and above all, through postprocessing contamination. The use of next-generation sequencing technologies such as whole-genome sequencing (WGS) facilitates foodborne outbreak investigations, pathogen source tracking and tracing geographic distributions of different clonal complexes, routine microbiological/epidemiological surveillance of listeriosis, and quantitative microbial risk assessment. WGS can also be used to predict various genetic traits related to virulence, stress, or antimicrobial resistance, which can be of great benefit for improving food safety management as well as public health.

Automated summary

Listeria monocytogenes is a major concern in food safety due to its involvement in outbreaks and listeriosis-related deaths. Next-generation sequencing technologies, especially whole-genome sequencing, have proven to be beneficial in tracking the source of L. monocytogenes contamination, investigating foodborne outbreaks, and conducting routine surveillance and risk assessment. Furthermore, these technologies can also predict genetic traits related to virulence, stress, and antimicrobial resistance, contributing to the improvement of food safety management and public health.