Widened responsibility for listeria prevention in RTE foods
Responsibility for ensuring Listeria monocytogenes does not contaminate ready-to-eat (RTE) food has widened across the food supply chain. With the recent amendment to Regulation (EU) 2073/2005 on the microbiological criteria for foods, it’s crucial for Food Business Operators (FBOs) to review and comply with the updated requirements to ensure adherence to food safety standards. The new measures will enter into force on July 1, 2026.
New requirements
The revised regulation requires more stringent testing of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat food, throughout the shelf life of the product, rather than just at the manufacturing stage. The criterion applies specifically to RTE foods able to support the growth of L. monocytogenes excluding those intended for infants and those which are for special medical purposes (SMPs).
Currently the regulation requires that L. monocytogenes should not be detected in 25 grams of RTE foods before the product has left the immediate control of the manufacturer, and a second criteria applies for products throughout shelf life, whereby the level of L. monocytogenes should not exceed 100 colony forming units per gram (cfu/g).
From July 1, 2026, in cases where the FBO is not able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of authorities, that the level of 100 cfu/g will not be exceeded, the detection criteria will also apply throughout shelf life, i.e. L. monocytogenes will need to be absent over the whole product life.
Reducing listeria contamination
Consuming food contaminated with L. monocytogenes poses significant health risks as it can lead to listeriosis. This condition is particularly dangerous for pregnant individuals and those with weakened immune systems and has a high fatality rate. The latest EFSA zoonoses report showed cases of listeriosis increased by 15.9% between 2021 and 2022. L. monocytogenes has the ability to form cleaning resistant biofilms and is capable of growing at refrigerator temperatures. The new requirements aim to enhance food safety and reduce prevalence of listeriosis by tightening controls and increasing testing requirements.
How Leatherhead Food Research can help
If you're an FBO, it's important to be aware of how to prevent L.monocytogenes growth throughout the life cycle of your products, as well as how to test for its presence. Leatherhead's experienced team of scientists and regulatory experts can support you in complying with food safety regulations in Europe and other markets, as well as help you assess the risk of listeria over the product life cycle. Please get in touch if you have any questions at [email protected].
Leatherhead Food Research Members are kept up to date with changing regulations through the weekly Global Legal Highlights newsletter. To learn more, get in touch with our membership team at [email protected].
