Listeria in fish

Aim

This degree project is a preliminary study for a larger project in which the Swedish Food Agency will map Listeria in fish products as well as Listeria in production environments. The degree project consists of two parts:

• To map which Listeria risk products (cured and cold-smoked fish) are sold in retail stores and where they are produced over time.
• To evaluate different materials (e.g. sponge, swab, cloth) used for surface sampling in food production facilities. The aim is to identify the most optimal material for environmental sampling prior to Listeria analysis.

Project description

Primarily larger retail chains in Uppsala will be visited on several occasions (over a few months) to document which products are being sold. A compilation will then be prepared and will, for example, include brands, production facilities, and batches sold over time.

The evaluation of different sampling materials will be carried out at the Swedish Food Agency’s microbiological laboratory in Uppsala. Surfaces (e.g. conveyor belts) will be inoculated with Listeria and swabbed using different materials, after which they will be analyzed for Listeria. The results will be compiled and analyzed statistically.

Specifications

You must be meticulous and prepared to independently perform food microbiological analyses under supervision.