Survey of Residential Refrigerators for the Presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

One hundred and ninety-five residential refrigerators in Brazos and Robertson counties of Texas were examined for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes . Surfaces on which meat and vegetables were usually stored, as well as other storage areas, were sampled. L. monocytogenes was not recovered from any of the refrigerators sampled. The organism, if introduced, may only be a transient inhabitant of refrigerator surfaces, as long-term colonization of such surfaces does not seem to be a common occurrence.