How to Handle Refrigerated Ready-to-Eat Foods and Avoid Listeriosis

Listeria monocyotogenes is a bacterium that can cause a serious infection in humans called listeriosis, that results in an estimated 2,500 serious illnesses and 500 deaths each year. Foodborne illness caused by L. monocytogenes in pregnant women can result in miscarriage, fetal death, and severe illness or death of a newborn infant. Others at risk for severe illness or death are older adults and those with weakened immune systems.

Because L. monocytogenes can grow at refrigerator temperatures and is found in ready-to-eat foods, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) are advising all consumers to reduce the risk of illness by:

• Using perishable items that are precooked or ready-to-eat as soon as possible;
• Cleaning their refrigerators regularly; and
• Using a refrigerator thermometer to make sure that the refrigerator always stays at 40 degrees F or below.

Since pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for listeriosis, FDA and FSIS are providing the following advice to those at-risk consumers of foods that have a greater likelihood of containing Listeria monocytogenes:

• Do not eat hot dogs and luncheon meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
• Do not eat soft cheese such as Feta, Brie, and Camembert cheeses, blue-veined cheeses, and Mexican-style cheeses such as "queso blanco fresco."

Cheeses that may be eaten include hard cheese; semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella; pasteurized processed cheeses such as slices and spreads; cream cheese; and cottage cheese.

• Do not eat refrigerated pates or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable pates and meat spreads may be eaten.
• Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, or mackerel, is most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked," or "jerky." The fish is found in the refrigerator section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood may be eaten.
• Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or eat foods that contain unpasteurized milk.

To keep food safe from harmful bacteria, follow these four simple steps:

Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often
Separate: Don't cross-contaminate
Cook: Cook to proper temperatures
Chill: Refrigerate promptly

For More Information, Contact:

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
1 (800) 535-4555 or (202) 720-3333 (Washington, DC)
TTY: 1 (800) 256-7072
www.fsis.usda.gov

FDA Food Information Line
1 (888) SAFEFOOD
www.cfsan.fda.gov

* Distributed May 2002 for use in September 2002 as part of the International Food Safety Council's National Food Safety Education Month.

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