Guide Aims to Help RTE Foodmakers Reduce <I>Listeria</I> Risk

New guidelines can assist ready-to-eat (RTE) food producers in identifying the Listeria monocytogenes risk in their products as well as informing decisions on when and which shelf-life studies are needed.

The International Life Science Institute states that foods considered as high-risk sources of listeriosis include products that are ready-to-eat, require refrigeration and are stored for extended time periods.

The publication from the European Commission’s DG Health and Consumers falls under Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on the microbiological criteria for foods, and states that producers of RTE foods need to take certain actions to control contamination of L. monocytogenes as well as its growth in the product until the end of shelf-life.

“Knowledge and documentation of the growth potential in a food product is needed, and must be taken into account when the producer sets the safe shelf-life for the product,” said the guidance.

L. monocytogenes can contaminate ready-to-eat meat and poultry during post-processing steps such as slicing, peeling and packaging.

The key reason why this particular pathogen presents such a problem for many food manufacturers is that, in general, food processing conditions are conducive to the growth of Listeria.

For example, L. monocytogenes favours the exact conditions of a meat processing plant, such as wet floors, cool and damp walls, standing water in rough floor surfaces and moist floor drains.

Source: Food ProductionDaily.com