Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a bacterium that can cause serious infection, listeriosis, and has recently been recognized as an important public health problem in the United States.
Listeria monocytogenes is found in soil and water; vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer. Animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill and can contaminate foods of animal origin, such as meat and dairy products. The bacterium has been found in a variety of raw foods, such as uncooked meats and vegetables, as well as in processed foods that become contaminated after processing, such as soft cheeses and cold cuts at the deli counter. Unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk may contain the bacterium.
Listeria is killed by pasteurization, and heating procedures used to prepare ready-to-eat processed meats should be sufficient to kill the bacterium; however, unless good manufacturing processes are followed, contamination can occur after processing.
The Alliance for Listeriosis Prevention is a coalition of trade associations and companies organized to help revise current U.S. government policy concerning the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods in which the organism will not grow. The coalition is chaired by the American Frozen Food Institute and includes many important food trade associations, including the Northwest Food Processors Association (NWFPA).
In December 2003, the Alliance submitted a petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting that the agency revise its current “zero-tolerance” policy on (Lm) to one which establishes a limit of 100 colony forming unit per gram (CFU/g) in ready-to-eat foods in which the organism will not grow. The petition was signed by 13 food trade associations including AFFI and NWFPA.
The petition was well received by FDA. The agency had recently completed a risk assessment on Lm, concluding that ready-to-eat foods in which Lm will not grow posed a very low risk to consumers. On May 24, 2004, FDA published the coalition's petition in the Federal Register for comment. Over 20 comments were received by the agency, most of them positive, including those from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the American Society of Microbiologists (ASM).
IFT which represents 26,000 food scientists in industry government and academia, said, “IFT agrees with the petitioners that a regulatory limit of 100 colony forming units/gram in foods that do not support growth will not jeopardize public health, and supports amendment of 21 CFR, Part 109, subpart C to establish a regulatory limit for Listeria monocytogenes.” The American Society of Microbiologists, which represents 42,000 scientists in academic, industrial, clinical and government institutions, said, “ASM supports the request that FDA amend the current regulations in 21 CFR, Part 109 to establish a regulatory limit for Listeria monocytogenes of 100 colony forming units per gram in foods that do not support the growth of the microorganism.”
On February 6, 2008, FDA announced that it was issuing for public comment a draft "Guidance for Industry: Control of Listeria monocytogenesin Refrigerated or Frozen Ready-to-Eat Foods."
Compliance Policy Guide for Listeria monocytogenesFebruary 2008 FDA Draft Guidance | ||
Hogan & Hartson Letter to FDA - June 23, 2005RE: Criteria for Establishing Unavoidability for Purposes of a Regulatory Limit | Industry Petition to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service - May 31, 2005RE: Establishing a Regulatory Limit for Listeria monocytogenes in Meat and Poultry Products that Do Not Support Its Growth | |
Industry Petition to FDA - December 2003RE: Establishing a Regulatory Limit for Listeria monocytogenes in Foods that Do Not Support Its Growth |