Presence of Listeria monocytogenes in Turkish style fermented sausage (sucuk)

Turkish style fermented sausage (sucuk) is a well-known and very popular meat product produced in Turkey. The growth of Listeria monocytogenes in fermented sausage and other meat products may cause serious health problems for consumers. The aim of this study is to assess the presence of L. monocytogenes in sucuk sold in Istanbul. During the period of February 2004–January 2005, a total of 300 sucuk samples were obtained from various markets located in Istanbul and the presence of L. monocytogenes was analyzed according to “Food and Drug Administration” (FDA) method. The results were found to be positive for Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes as 63 (21%) and 35 (11.6%) respectively.