Isolation and characterization of Listeria monocytogenes from commercial asazuke (Japanese light pickles).

Asazuke is a ready-to-eat Japanese light pickle, mainly made of vegetables which are known to be one of the sources of Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Although asazuke is a popular side-dish in Japan, the hazard of bacterial contamination has not been evaluated yet. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of L.