The recent recall of more than 400 ready-to-eat (RTE) products by Fresh Ideation Food Group LLC, Baltimore, Md., due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination, underpins the importance of incorporating food safety ingredients into products at the point of manufacturing. The recall included prepared sandwiches, wraps and even lunch kits, convenience products one purchases while out and about. These are the types of foods a mom may purchase and share with a young child during a busy errand day. And, if contaminated with Listeria, could cause serious illness, even fatal infections in young children and miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

“Kids have lesser-developed immune systems than adults, which makes it increasingly important to make food safety a high priority,” said Garrett McCoy, senior manager of research, development and applications, Corbion, Lenexa, Kan.

The recall occurred after Fresh Ideation Food Group found environmental samples that tested positive for Listeria. Thus far, the US Food and Drug Administration has said there are no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the products. It is possible that food safety ingredients were included in the meat products contained in these foods.

During the summer of 2021, Tyson Foods Inc., Springdale, Ark., recalled almost 9 million pounds of RTE chicken products cooked and packaged at its Dexter, Mo., facility because of adulteration by Listeria. The epidemiologic investigation identified three listeriosis illnesses and linked the outbreak to one death.

Many of the frozen, fully cooked chicken products were kid-favorite foods, such as breaded chicken nuggets. These items had been shipped nationwide to retailers, hospitals, restaurants and schools.

Understanding Listeria

Listeria is a pathogenic microorganism that is omnipresent in the environment. It is a facultative anaerobic bacterium capable of surviving in the presence or absence of oxygen. It can grow and reproduce inside the host’s cells and is one of the most virulent foodborne pathogens, with 20% to 30% of foodborne listeriosis infections in high-risk individuals being fatal.

“Meat processing plants and processing equipment are sources of Listeria contamination,” said Errol Raghubeer, senior vice president, JBTAvure, Erlander, Ky. “Raw meat arriving from slaughterhouses and other sources can bring the organism into RTE meat processing facilities. Listeria can tolerate extreme environmental conditions. It survives and forms biofilms on processing surfaces and equipment that can be difficult to get rid of with normal sanitation procedures. One of the most significant avenues for contamination is slicing equipment, where the contamination occurs after the application of the heat lethality treatment, such as roasting, smoking, etc. It is a constant struggle for processors to maintain ‘sterility’ of slicers.”

The greatest risk for product contamination with Listeria occurs when a product contact surface is contaminated. This risk is highest between the point where meat and poultry are cooked and the point where product is packaged. To effectively manage the risk of product contamination, it is necessary to assess where along the product flow the exposed food is most likely to become contaminated and take proper steps to prevent that from occurring.

Employees must be trained to understand the problem, the potential sources of the organism and the specific controls the plant employs to control contamination. Thus, the labor shortages and supply chain struggles over the past two years have added havoc to what is already a challenging situation.

“Over the past year, the labor shortage was a major story in a wide range of sectors, including food safety,” said Karim-Franck Khinouche, the founder and chief executive officer of Novolyze Washington, DC. “The average age of today’s quality assurance manager is higher than ever. It has become difficult to find qualified people who want to work in this industry.

“Now that there is a sense of normalcy in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, food plant audits are increasingly taking place in-person and will continue to even more in the coming year,” Khinouche said. “As a result, we can expect to see a higher number of recalls as auditors catch things that might have slipped by over the past several years of conducting audits virtually. With plants now fully functional, it’s critical to make sure everything is in order to ensure more seamless audits.”

This includes fool proofing for Listeria. The manufacturing plants that are slicing and packaging RTE meats, such as deli-style chicken, ham, roast beef, salami and turkey, are particularly vulnerable, as Listeria can live and thrive on plastic, metal and in water, too. Also at risk are commissaries working with these products to make prepared sandwiches, wraps, salads, etc.

While heat will kill this pathogen, ready-to-eat (RTE) meats seldom undergo a sufficient heat treatment by the consumer to destroy the bacteria. Think lunch meal kits and grab-and-go compartmentalized snack packs with grapes, turkey chunks and cheese cubes.

“Kid-friendly meat and poultry applications tend to lean toward RTE, which historically utilized sodium lactate and sodium diacetate for preservation and functionality in the final product,” McCoy said. “With RTE applications, there are more hurdles that developers need to overcome to ensure the product they produce is safe for the end consumer.”

Megan Passman, global insights manager, Corbion, said, “Convenience is still and continues to be top-of-mind for busy households and families. We are seeing convenient innovation targeting children play out in popular kid-friendly food items such as meatballs and chicken nuggets.”

Some of these products are showing up in lunch kits. They are formulated to taste great right out of the refrigerator, or after sitting in a backpack for six hours.

“Ultimately, parents want to see their kids healthy and happy,” said Michael Cropp, technical services manager, Kemin Food Technologies, Des Moines, Iowa. “While kids have always been picky eaters, it has become increasingly easier to purchase food and beverage items that meet youngster preferences.”

In addition to RTE deli meats, popular go-to convenience kids’ meals include chicken nuggets, meatballs and hot dogs. These products may be refrigerated or frozen and are pre-cooked. They just require warming.

“The convenience aspect increases the protection factors required to safeguard these foods to prevent illness,” Cropp said. “Fully cooked items are often not re-heated to lethal temperatures, which makes food safety a top priority. Parents expect these foods to be safe and typically wouldn’t even consider an alternative scenario. This further increases the importance manufacturers must make on food safety regarding kid-friendly foods. Maintaining the trust of parents will guarantee repeat purchases and a loyal consumer base.”

Ingredient toolbox

There are a range of ingredients that may be used to ensure food safety. Processing may also assist.

Corbion has a variety of food safety solutions, including conventional and clean-label options, that can deliver the same food safety functionality. Clean-label ingredients, including vinegar and cultured sugar, are recognizable to consumers, yet maintain food safety and are non-allergenic.

“Consumers are paying more attention to food ingredients and labels, seeking simpler, recognizable ingredients when making purchase decisions, especially when it comes to purchasing products for kids,” McCoy said. “Our ferment portfolio allows for simple labeling as cultured sugar, cultured corn sugar or vinegar, which helps satisfy consumer needs.”

An added perk with cultured sugar is the increased yield for the processor. This results in better eating quality for the consumer. Some food safety ingredients may help processors achieve sodium reduction in the end product without sacrificing flavor or food safety.

“We developed a powerful tool (Corbion Listeria Control Model) that can predict the outgrowth of Listeria in food products, as well as other modeling tools to speed up the product development process,” McCoy said. “A manufacturer can use this tool, along with their own validations, to ensure their Listeria control strategy well exceeds the intended shelf life of the product.”

Kemin also offers synthetic and clean-label antimicrobial ingredients for meat and poultry products. For clean labels, the company has focused innovation toward developing higher concentration options that also contribute less sodium to the finished food product.

“Along with our extensive portfolio of vinegar options, these clean-label products can meet the demands of various formulations and market goals, including meeting standards set by parents and Kindergarten through 12the grade school lunch programs to provide nutritious options to kids,” Cropp said.

Antimicrobial solutions from Kemin are organic acids derived with active molecules such as propionic acid and acetic acid. Organic acid mode of action for food safety depends on the amount of undissociated (non-ionized) acid present to penetrate the bacterial cell walls to disrupt the pH equilibrium of the interior bacterial cell environment. With organic acids being present inside the bacterial cell, it spends its energy reserve to restore a neutral pH rather than for growth.