Work

Modelling Listeria monocytogenes contamination and application of the resilience concept in the soft cheese supply chain

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Listeria monocytogenes remains one of the most relevant foodborne pathogens of public health concern, particularly in ready-to-eat products. This research aims to assess the impact of selected control strategies on possible contamination with L. monocytogenes at retail in a virtual soft cheese production facility. An integrated modelling approach that combines Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) and microbial growth modelling, while embedding resilience analysis was used. The resilience of the soft cheese supply chain was evaluated using a performance indicator: the proportion of products at the end of retail storage below the EU legal threshold of 100 CFU/g. The soft cheese production facility is partitioned into three critical post-pasteurization zones: Molding, Brining, and Ripening. The baseline scenario assumed sanitation every three days, representing a standard facility operation for a soft cheese processing facility in Europe. Two potential shocks to the system were considered: elevated initial contamination of L. monocytogenes in raw milk and elevated retail temperature. In addition, three control measures: pasteurization of raw milk, daily sanitation of the facility, and lower retail temperature were considered. Model results indicated that daily sanitation lowered L. monocytogenes concentrations across post-pasteurization zones, resulting in lower contamination levels at retail. A combination of pasteurizing raw milk, sanitizing the processing facility daily, and lowering the retail temperature during cheese handling provided full resilience to L. monocytogenes contamination. These findings are derived from a simulated soft cheese production facility and should be interpreted within the context of the applied modelling assumptions and scenarios. • The soft cheese supply chain is vulnerable to L. monocytogenes contamination. • Microbial growth models and ABM are combined to improve the resilience of the chain • Applying a combination of control measures is most relevant to recover after a shock

Source: Food Control

DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2026.112032