A burst of steam and a jigger of bactericide in a high-speed packaging machine might provide hot-dog packers with a Listeria monocytogenes silver bullet.

Post-packaging sterilization with hot water or steam is a common post-lethality treatment, and the steady decline in Listeria infections can be at least partially attributed to its effectiveness. But the process takes up to 20 minutes, results in package purge and adds heat to the product that must then be removed. It also requires somewhat thicker package film to withstand the sterilization treatment, adding cost as well as time.