Unlike most other bacterial pathogens, Listeria is able to grow under refrigerated temperatures as well as survive in higher-salt foods, like meats and cheeses, which normally deter microbial growth5. So, even if there is only a small number of Listeria organisms on these products in the beginning, they can replicate in the refrigerator and become a big problem.
The ability to grow at cold temperatures makes walk-in coolers and display cases a suitable home for this organism and a possible source of cross-contamination to ready to eat food products. It is vital to ensure that coolers are maintained at 41°F or colder because this will slow the growth of Listeria and other pathogens, and special care should be taken to make sure coolers are kept in a sanitary condition. Any surface that employees routinely touch such as door handles, on/off switches, and the display case should be cleaned and sanitized often6,7
COLD DRINKS ARE HOT!
Ensure that the ice in those cold drinks is safe.
Our ready-to-use, no-rinse formulation makes Sani Professional® No-Rinse Sanitizing Multi-Surface Wipes Softpack ideal for daily ice machine sanitizing. They are convenient and they kill 99.999% of Listeria Monocytogenes on hard, non-porous food contact surfaces
Learn more about how to clean ice machines with Sani Professional® No-Rinse Sanitizing Wipes
References: