Risk Assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Foods: Explanatory Summary and Findings

risk assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods – Explanatory Summary

INTERPRETATION OF RSUM

This risk assessment reflects the current state of knowledge on food contamination by L. monocytogenes
and listerosis levels. Conducting systematic studies to determine food handling, consumption and contamination will improve future risk assessments. Research to better understand the dynamics of microbial growth would increase the ability to estimate final contamination levels. A more comprehensive study of epidemic outbreaks and determination of the characteristics of violence than L. monocytogenes will make the dose response relationship more precise.

This risk assessment did not attempt to assess the factors that cause food contamination at the point of sale. Additional assessments of the exposure of certain foods would allow us to better understand how these foods are contaminated and the factors that most affect the prevention or elimination of contamination. Valid outcome pathway evaluations should be conducted to test the effects on listerosis incidence of various mitigation measures or potential effects of management changes.

The critical factor in assessing the risk of food is the frequency distribution of contamination levels when that food is consumed. Estimating the real impact of a proposed management program on this distribution is very uncertain, but it is fundamental to determine the change obtained in the distribution to reduce the appearance of listeriosis.