What is the scientific relationship between the Good Manufacturing Practices1 (GMPs) status and the level of Listeria monocytogenes in the product?
The assumption would be that if there is environmental contamination with Listeria monocytogenes in the plant, the final product is more likely to be contaminated by the pathogen. However, this cannot always be reflected during sampling, since only a small number of sample units (n=5) are being analysed. Therefore, an evaluation of GMPs becomes necessary, with the assumption that if GMPs are not adequate, there is more chance for L. monocytogenes to be present in the plant environment and hence in the final product.
