Avoiding Listeria Bacterial Poisoning in Lettuce

Bacteria Listeria monocytogenes is a lethal pathogen and can live inside the tissue of romaine lettuce, suggesting that conventional post-harvest sanitization practices might not be sufficient to kill it. Research led by Amanda Deering, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Food Science, showed that the bacteria could live within lettuce in every stage of the plant growth process, residing inside the plant tissue.