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Sep 10, 2025 - Foods
Amendment of Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 – Significance for Ice Cream Parlors
Starting July 2026, the Amendment Regulation (EU) 2024/2895 will take effect. It concerns ready-to-eat foods that can promote the growth of Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria are adaptable and widespread, can survive at refrigerator temperatures, and are found in both animal and plant foods. The regulation defines limit values for Listeria monocytogenes in its categories:
Category 1.1 for infant and medical foods,
Category 1.2 for other foods with growth promotion, and
Category 1.3 for those without growth promotion.
Various tests are used for categorization, such as challenge tests, chemical-physical analyses, storage tests, and mathematical models. Foods of Category
1.3 automatically meet criteria such as low pH or aw values or a shelf life of less than 5 days.
Ice cream and cream with a short shelf life often fall under this, with a limit of 100 CFU/g during the shelf life.
Changes from 2026 affect only Category 1.2. If a food business operator cannot demonstrate that the number of Listeria monocytogenes does not exceed the limit of 100 CFU/g during the shelf life, absence in 25 g must be demonstrated from production.
For ice cream parlors, everything remains unchanged for ice cream or cream sold directly. However, if desserts are offered for more than 5 days, it must be checked whether they fall under Category 1.2.
In this case, stricter verification requirements apply. To avoid contamination, good hygiene practice, HACCP controls, and regular self-checks are essential.
The German Food Association’s guideline provides assistance.
If you have any questions about quality control, we are happy to support you and conduct challenge tests in our laboratory. Further information on prevention can be found on the website of the German Food Association: