Thursday, 11 April 2024
The European Commission has published a draft amendment to the Listeria monocytogenes microbiological criterion laid down under Food Category 1.2 in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs. The reason for the proposed amendment is to align the criterion with the international Codex Alimentarius guidelines for Listeria monocytogenes. In the Codex guidelines, there is a criterion of L. monocytogenes not detected in 25 g while placed on the market for foods able to support growth.
Currently, the Regulation does not set a L. monocytogenes limit for Category 1.2 food that is sampled after it has left the immediate control of the food business operator that produced it, where the food business operator that produced it cannot demonstrate that the limit of 100 cfu/g will not be exceeded throughout the shelf-life.
The draft amendment is now available to review and is open for feedback. The feedback is open for four weeks and closes on 8 May 2024.
Provide your feedback to the European Commission
Guidance Note 27 on the Enforcement of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs (in particular pages 62-63)
