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This regulation establishes the microbiological criteria food business operators must meet according to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004. Listeria monocytogenes is a highly lethal pathogen that represents a serious risk to public health. According to the latest EFSA report on zoonoses, there was a 15.9% increase in listeriosis cases in the European Union in 2022 compared to 2021, reaching one of the highest numbers of deaths reported in the last decade.
Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 the presence of Listeria monocytogenes is not to be detected in 25g of ready-to-eat foods able to support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, other than those intended for infants and for special medical purposes, before they have left the immediate control of the producing food business operator. However, no criterion was specified for these foods once out of the producer's control, even if it could not be guaranteed that the level of Listeria monocytogenes would not exceed 100 cfu/g during its shelf life.
The amendment introduced by Regulation (EU) 2024/2895 seeks to ensure a uniform level of public health protection from production to distribution of ready-to-eat foods that are able to support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, To this end, the food safety criterion of “Listeria monocytogenes not detected in 25 g” will apply in all situations where such foods are placed on the market during their shelf-life and for which the producing food business operator has not been able to demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the competent authority, that the level of Listeria monocytogenes will not exceed the limit of 100 cfu/g throughout their shelf-life.
This measure reinforces food safety in the European Union, responding to the increase in cases of listeriosis and ensuring more effective protection for consumers.
November 22, 2024/ AESAN/ Spain.
https://www.aesan.gob.es/
