Food Safety Criterion Listeria monocytogenes

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Sep 28, 2022 - Foods

Food Safety Criterion Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes increasingly plays an important role as an infectious agent, as the number of reported cases is continuously rising. Due to their widespread presence, Listeria are regularly found in raw animal and plant-based foods (e.g., meat, poultry, milk, vegetables, fish, and seafood). However, they also play a significant role in processed foods (e.g., meat and sausage products, smoked fish products, mixed salads).

Limits for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods are regulated in Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005. The foods are categorized into two categories based on the facilitation of growth.

As part of a project group of the AFFL (Working Group on Meat and Poultry Meat Hygiene and Specific Questions of Foods of Animal Origin), a decision tree for the classification of products into the appropriate category and a guideline for examining self-control systems were created in June 2022.

Food companies and private laboratories are intended to be supported in classifying ready-to-eat foods into the appropriate categories of Regulation (EC) 2073/2005.

Further information on Listeria monocytogenes can be found in our profile.

In our Tentamus laboratories, we regularly conduct tests for Listeria monocytogenes. We provide you with fast and reliable results.

Our customer advisors are happy to assist you with any questions.