FSANZ appeals for listeria info

12-Nov-2013 - Last updated on 12-Nov-2013 at 15:37 GMT

Call for submissions on criteria for Listeria in RTE foods

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) wants submissions on L. monocytogenes growth in ready-to-eat foods.

Proposal P1017 will review limits in the Food Standards Code and establish criteria based on whether growth can occur.

Steve McCutcheon, FSANZ chief executive officer, said the approach is consistent with the pathogen’s management internationally.

“It recognises that L. monocytogenes is able to grow to high numbers in some foods and should not be present at detectable levels if the food is to be kept safe.

“In other foods, where we know the pathogen cannot grow, there is a possibility for occasional low level detections that will not affect the safety of the food.

“The review of the limits for L. monocytogenes is the first stage of a broader review of microbiological limits in the code.”

The agency has done work previously around Listeria and RTE foods.

The closing date for submissions is 10 January 2014.