AMIF details major progress in enhancing safety of RTE meat and poultry
Manufacturers of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products have dramatically improved the safety of their products during the last decade and plan to use what they have learned in battling this pathogen to make further process in the years to come, according to AMI Foundation Chief Scientist Betsy Booren, Ph.D. Booren made her remarks yesterday in a public meeting sponsored by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss an Interagency Risk Assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in Retail Delicatessens that the two agencies released last week.
According to Booren, the processed meat and poultry industry’s efforts to identify food safety strategies and to share research and best practices related to L. monocytogenes prevention and control have been key factors in preventing listeriosis outbreaks linked to meat and poultry products. No ready-to-eat meat and poultry product recalls have been triggered by listeriosis outbreaks since 2003 and listeriosis cases from all foods (not just meat and poultry) have declined steeply since 2000, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Booren called these facts a true “triumph” of the industry’s non-competitive approach to food safety.