Assessing Listeria Monocytogenes Survival and Growth in Skim, Partial Skim, and Full-Fat Milk under Refrigeration

Marwa Mahmood ^1*, Fouad K. Alsammarraie ¹

This study revealed that preserving dairy products in refrigeration does not protect them from contamination with Listeria.

Abstract

Background: Milk is a global fundamental dietary staple cherished for its nutritional richness and versatility. However, despite pasteurization efforts, its susceptibility to bacterial contamination, particularly by pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), poses a significant concern. This study explored how components within cow milk influence L. monocytogenes, particularly in safeguarding bacterial cells against damage or destruction during refrigeration. Method: Forty samples were employed, comprising 30 milk varieties (skim, partial skim, and full-fat) and 10 phosphate buffer solution (PBS) samples serving as controls. Each sample was inoculated with L. monocytogenes and stored in a refrigerator at 4-5°C for one week. Results: The highest survival rate on tryptose agar (TA) was observed in the full-fat milk group at 99.28% after 7 days, showing no significant difference (p ≥0.05) from baseline. Conversely, the control and skim milk groups exhibited the lowest survival rates, at 27.23% and 58.95%, respectively, after the same storage period. Furthermore, an elevated percentage of injured bacterial cells on tryptose salt agar (TSA) was found in the partial skim and skim milk groups (46.02% and 57.14%, respectively), compared to the full-fat milk group (25.85%), with significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) across all time points (0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days). Conclusion: The study underscores L. monocytogenes' resilience and capacity to proliferate even under adverse conditions such as refrigeration. Moreover, it highlights the pathogen's ability to withstand high-salt environments, as evidenced by its performance on TSA media containing 5.5% NaCl.

Keywords: Milk, Listeria Monocytogenes, Refrigeration, Bacterial Survival, Bacterial Count.

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