Health Authorities Ban Operations at a Cheese Plant in Biobío Over Repeated Listeria monocytogenes Findings

The Biobío Regional Ministerial Secretariat (Seremi) of Health ordered on October 1 a temporary ban on operations at a cheese-making plant in the region, following a sanitary inspection prompted by repeated positive microbiological results for Listeria monocytogenes. The measure covers the production of all products made at the plant and will remain in place until the company implements corrective actions.

The case began with a food alert on September 8 for a batch of cheese. From then on the authority took four samplings during the month, all with positive results in specific batches. The regional secretary explained that the decision was based on the nature of the agent, its persistence in food production environments and the clinical severity it can cause in vulnerable groups. This decision expands the information from the food alert for Listeria in cheese issued in September.

Among the requirements, the company must submit a technical report identifying the source of contamination, apply an intensive cleaning and disinfection program, establish microbiological surveillance and undergo new official samplings and a reassessment of its good manufacturing practices system before the restriction is lifted. In addition, the products from the investigated period were held to prevent their sale.

Listeria monocytogenes survives in humid environments and at refrigeration temperatures, which makes it especially hard to eradicate from a dairy plant once it becomes established in equipment, drains or surfaces. It can cause listeriosis, with a risk of serious complications in pregnant women, newborns, older adults and immunocompromised people. That is why systematic environmental monitoring and finished product testing with rapid methods are the industry's main defense for detecting a focus before it reaches the consumer.