| Summary A capture  enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the identification of Listeria monocytogenes in food was standardised and validated. The assay was refined by analysing  samples of meat, seafood, dairy products, pasta and flour. The method was found  to be 100% specific for Listeria spp. tested, with a limit of sensitivity of 6.6 × 103 colony-forming  units (cfu)/ml. Comparison of L. monocytogenes capture ELISA against the official International Organization for  Standardization (ISO) method 11290-1:1996 for the isolation and  identification of L. monocytogenes in food matrices produced a significant concordance index. The assay was  validated on food matrices including meat, seafood and dairy products in line  with ISO 16140:2003 concerning qualitative analytical methods. The assay  was found to be accurate, specific, sensitive, selective, reproducible and  fast, resulting in lower costs and faster turnaround in microbiological screening  of foods.
 KeywordsCapture  ELISA, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA, Food, Hygiene, International Organization for  Standardization, Italy, Listeria monocytogenes.
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