Industry, science and real-world insights at the Listeria Workshop 2025

Despite the kind of windy weather normally reserved for Wellington, a strong group of industry professionals gathered at Lincoln University for this year’s Listeria Workshop, hosted by the New Zealand Food Safety Science & Research Centre (NZFSSRC). The event was generously hosted by NZFSSRC Science Leadership Team member, Professor Stephen On, and once again brought together experts from science and industry to share practical knowledge and emerging research on managing Listeria monocytogenes, a persistent and costly challenge for food producers. 

The day opened with NZFSSRC Chief Scientist Distinguished Professor Phil Bremer, who delivered an engaging refresher in “Microbiology 101”, setting the scientific scene and framing the importance of understanding Listeria from the ground up. 

From there, Hannah Mills-Beale from AsureQuality took participants through the essentials of testing, interpretation, and results, helping demystify what those lab reports really mean, and how to act on them effectively. 

The industry case studies that followed were a standout once again, offering real-world context and lessons learned: 

Denver McGregor (New Zealand King Salmon) provided a hands-on demonstration straight from the plant floor, giving participants a tangible look at the challenges of managing Listeria in seafood processing. 

Agam Nangul (Zespri) shared insights from the kiwifruit sector, including Zespri’s 2024 market access issues in the US, highlighting how strong relationships with regulators can make a critical difference. 

Tracy Wilson (Farmland Foods), who attended last year’s workshop, bravely shared her company’s journey in tackling environmental Listeria — detailing the steps they’ve taken so far and the lessons learned along the way. 

Following lunch, the workshop turned to operational controls, exploring effective cleaning and sanitising practices, the importance of hygienic plant design (Michael Baird) and how small changes can make a big impact. Participants also heard from researchers on Listeria in seafood and apples (Graham Fletcher), and about promising advances in Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) (Lucy Rivas) and alternative control strategies, including plasma-activated water (John Mills) and the potential use of bacteriophages (Heather Hendrickson). 

The day concluded with a lively Q&A session and open discussion between presenters and attendees; a chance to share challenges, compare notes, and connect over a common goal: keeping Listeria out of New Zealand’s food supply. A networking session followed, rounding out a day of science, collaboration, and practical learning.  

The event once again demonstrated the value of bringing science and industry together to tackle shared challenges. NZFSSRC thanks all presenters and attendees for their openness and contribution to another successful and thought-provoking workshop. 

If you’re interested in attending a future Listeria workshop, including one being considered for the North Island, please contact NZFSSRC to register your interest.