Does vinegar kill Listeria?
Vinegar, in undiluted form, has antimicrobial properties that can impact microbes. Studies have shown that dried vinegar inhibits the growth of Listeria Monocytogenes. A similar effect is achieved by combining vinegar with lemon juice [1].
Other sources show that vinegar can also kill the bacterium [2]. However, vinegar's disinfection effect may not be effective in all cases.
The effectiveness of disinfection depends on the concentration. Vinegar at a concentration of 6% can be effective, but the best effect is achieved by higher concentrations of 25 to 50%. Solutions with more vinegar have comparable effects to sodium hypochlorite, a common disinfectant [3].
Thus, solutions containing less than 25% vinegar will impact the growth and kill some Listeria. However, concentrations above 25% vinegar should be used to ensure better disinfection results.
Where can Listeria be found?
Listeria occurs naturally in soil and water. However, it is also found in urban environments and industrial facilities [4, 5].
The average prevalence of Listeria in all environments is around 33.5% [6].
One of the common places where Listeria persists is in food processing facilities [6].
Due to its popularity in many environments, Listeria can occur on raw vegetables and contaminated meat, such as chicken, unpasteurized milk, and its products. It can also occur in hot dogs and deli meats if they are contaminated during processing.
Who is at risk of Listeria infection?
Healthy people rarely get Listeria, and when they do, the course of the disease is mild or not noticeable. However, some people are at higher risk of infection, severe listeriosis, and complications.
Groups of people who are increased risk include:
- older people, particularly older than 65 years [8],
- pregnant women and their children,
- immunocompromised people [9].
The immunocompromised group includes people with acquired or inborn immune deficiencies and people on immunosuppressive medication. For example, people with AIDS, those undergoing cancer treatment, and people after organ transplantation belong to this group [10].
What disease does Listeria cause?
Listeria infection can lead to a foodborne disease called listeriosis.
Listeriosis has mild or even no symptoms in healthy people. However, if it occurs in someone from the risk group, it can quickly lead to severe problems [11].
Pregnant women usually have only mild, flu-like symptoms of listeriosis. However, the infection can affect the fetus. It can lead to miscarriage, premature delivery, or cause a neonatal infection [12].
In newborns, listeriosis can be transmitted from the mother during pregnancy or when passing through a colonized vaginal canal. It can cause sepsis or meningitis [13].
Listeria infection is dangerous in immunocompromised patients. It can cause meningitis, osteomyelitis, and brain and liver abscesses, among other things. The disease can be fatal in such patients [11].
The mortality risk in the risk group is high. Around 20 to 30% of the cases can be fatal [14, 15].
How can I prevent Listeria infection?
Food safety is key to Listeria infection prevention. Keeping the food processing areas and tools clean is crucial. Proper hand washing with soap before and after food handling is also essential [10, 8].
Special attention is needed when cleaning foods known for Listeria, such as raw vegetables. The best method is to scrub them with a brush underwater [10, 16, 8].
Another essential preventive step is thorough food preparation. Do not eat undercooked products such as meat and poultry [10, 16, 8].
If you or anyone in your house is pregnant, the best thing to do is limit foods that Listeria can potentially contaminate. Do not eat deli meat, smoked fish, or unpasteurized milk products [10, 16].
Also, keeping your fridge clean and at the proper temperature is crucial. The freezer should be below 0°F (-17.8°C), while the refrigerator should be below 40°F (4.4°C) [10, 16, 17].
If you have any leftover food in the fridge, eat it within 4 days of preparation [17].