Listeria spp. in ready-to-eat dairy products from retailers and small dairy shops

Three hundred samples of six different dairy products, collected from retailers and small dairy shops in Giza and Beni-Suef governorates, were examined for the presence of Listeria spp. Twenty-one percent of the samples contained Listeria spp. The ratio was between zero percent for yogurt and 42% for ice cream. Listeria innocuaandL. grayiwere most dominant in the samples, only few samples contained L. monocytogenes. These small shops and retailers have a good share of the Egyptian market. These findings pose a serious situation for public health aspect.