Listeria

FSIS defines RTE as

Product is safe to eat without further preparation or cooking, and that don’t require additional handling to ensure food safety.

A product is not post lethality exposed if

Product is cooked and shipped in a nonpermeable bag (cooked in bag)

Salmonella in RTE product usually indicative of

Failure of SSOP and associated sanitation efforts

Alternative 1 for addressing Listeria in 9 CFR 430

Post lethality treatment AND antimicrobial agent/process

MUST validate and document effectiveness of both

Alternative 2a for addressing Listeria in 9 CFR 430

Post lethality treatment only (reduces/eliminates Lm)

MUST validate its effectiveness

Alternative 2b for addressing Listeria in 9 CFR 430

Antimicrobial agent/process only (suppresses/limits Lm)

MUST document its effectiveness AND adhere to sanitation program requirements

Alternative 3 for addressing Listeria in 9 CFR 430

Sanitation program only

Testing requirements for alternatives 2a, 2b, and 3

Est uses ONLY an antimicrobial treatment (2a), a process to suppress/limit Lm growth (2b), or a sanitation program (3)

MUST include food contact surface testing in a sanitation program

What must a sanitation program cover?

Test food contact surfaces for Lm/indicator, state testing frequency, ID size and location of sampled sites, explain why frequency is sufficient, ID conditions for Hold-and-Test when a positive is found