FSIS has updated its guidance for retail firms to decrease the potential for Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) growth and cross-contamination.
The Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes in Retail Delicatessens discusses steps that retailers can take to prevent certain ready-to-eat (RTE) foods that are prepared or sliced in retail delicatessens and consumed in the home, such as deli meats and salads, from becoming contaminated with Lm and thus a source of listeriosis. FSIS encourages retailers to review the guidance and evaluate the effectiveness of their retail practices and intervention strategies in reducing the risk of listeriosis to consumers from RTE meat and poultry deli products.