OBJECTIVES:: To investigate the most searched pathogens in L. monocytogenes detection methods and evaluate if there are differences in sensitivity and specificity between single and multipathogen methods. METHODS:: A systematic review was performed including studies reporting data on methods developed to detect L. monocytogenes in a broad range of food sample. When possible, study data from true positive (TP), true negative (TN), false positive (FP) and false negative (FN) were extracted to enable sensitivity and specificity calculations. RESULTS:: A total of 2270 records were retrieved, of which 191 were selected. The majority of the studies (104) presented multipathogen detection and the remaining 87 searched for L. monocytogenes specifically. Regarding the studies for multipathogen detection, 21.6% investigated Salmonella spp., 19.4% analyzed other Listeria species, 13.2% evaluated E. coli O157:H7, 9.7% assessed Staphylococcus spp. and 5.7% analyzed E. coli