M&S Listeria Management Insights
A practical, hands-on course designed for hygiene teams and technical staff responsible for environmental swabbing and Listeria control. This training provides the knowledge and skills needed to develop effective swabbing programmes, carry out sampling correctly, and strengthen hygiene systems in high-risk food manufacturing environments.
Description
This course focuses on the effective management and control of Listeria in food manufacturing environments, with a strong emphasis on environmental monitoring and hygiene practices.
Delegates will gain a clear understanding of Listeria risks, including how the organism survives and spreads within factory environments, and why effective environmental monitoring is critical for protecting product safety.
A key focus of the training is building and implementing effective swabbing programmes. Participants will learn how to:
- Develop risk-based swabbing plans linked to product, process, and environment
- Identify the correct swabbing locations, including food contact, non-food contact, and environmental sites
- Determine frequency, sampling types, and dynamic swab points based on risk and trends
- Carry out swabbing techniques correctly to improve detection and consistency
The course also explores the wider controls required for effective Listeria management, including hygiene standards, cleaning and disinfection strategies, factory design considerations, and barrier controls to prevent contamination spread.
Through practical exercises, real audit findings, and scenario-based learning, delegates will build confidence in:
- Identifying high-risk areas and harbourage points
- Interpreting swabbing results and trends
- Responding effectively to positive findings
- Driving continuous improvement in hygiene and environmental monitoring systems
By the end of the course, attendees will have the tools and confidence to strengthen their site’s Listeria control strategy, improve compliance, and reduce the risk of contamination in high-care and high-risk environments.
Who Should Attend?
Aimed at individuals responsible for designing swabbing plans, carrying out environmental sampling, and managing hygiene teams, the course combines technical knowledge with practical application to support robust, risk-based control systems.