How can I safely handle refrigerated ready-to-eat foods to avoid Listeriosis?

Listeria monocyotogenes is a bacterium that can cause a serious infection in humans called listeriosis. 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) is advising all consumers to reduce the risk of illness by:

• Storing perishable items that are precooked or ready-to-eat at 40 degrees or lower and consuming 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 is 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, queso blanco, queso fresco, and Panela unless it is labeled as made with pasteurized milk."
  
  
• 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

Source: Excerpted from FDA/CFSAN Consumer Advisory: How to Safely Handle Refrigerated Ready-To-Eat Foods and Avoid Listeriosis, October 2003

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