As part of the BIOTRACER dissemination process, a national conference on L. monocytogenes was organised at Moorepark Food Research Centre, Fermoy, Ireland. Approximately 100 attendees from regulatory, research and industrial areas gathered on 21-22 September 2009.

BIOTRACER representatives at the Irish national conference on Listeria: Triona Hunt, Dr. Kieran Jordan (organiser), Professor Martin Wagner, Ed Fox, Martina O'Brien and Sol Schvartzman (presenters).

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that causes listeriosis and is of considerable public health concern. Organised by Dr. Kieran Jordan at Moorepark Food Research Centre, Ireland, the national conference on L. monocytogenes was a great success. The guest speakers from abroad included Dr. Paul Neaves from the UK and Professor Martin Wagner from Austria and representing BIOTRACER. Dr. Neaves, of Williams and Neaves, The Food Microbiologists, took a very practical approach to controlling L. monocytogenes, and Professor Wagner presented the Austrian experience with listeria. Other speakers highlighted issues of interest from research, regulation and public health. The key message from the conference was that, due to its widespread occurrence in nature, learning to control L. monocytogenes is essential. Understanding the organism is a central part of the process towards controlling it. 

The Listeria Conference was also an event that supported collaboration between several EU-funded traceability projects. Research from ProSafeBeef and SigmaChain was presented at the conference by Dr. Geraldine Duffy and Professor Francis Butler, respectively.