Beef jerky is a ready-to-eat product that does not require refrigeration at the point of sale. Here, we evaluated the occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes in the production process of beef jerky, the presence of virulence genes and the genomic relatedness of the isolates, to assess the safety of the final product. The raw material, surfaces with and without contact with the product and the final product were evaluated along the beef jerky processing line. The samples were evaluated by VIDAS immunoassay system, and the L. monocytogenes isolates were confirmed and evaluated for the presence of several virulence genes by PCR. Listeria monocytogenes was identified in six of the 84 samples (7.14%), and no genetic relationship was observed among isolates. Samples of raw material (2/7), food contact surface (1/56), and work surfaces without contact with food (3/14) presented contamination by L. monocytogenes. The final product was not contaminated, demonstrating that barriers to multiplication of pathogens used during the production process were effective for its control.
Keywords: Foodborne pathogen; Meat product; PFGE; Ready-to-eat; Virulence genes.