Thumbnail Image

Risk assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods. Interpretative Summary. Microbiological Risk Assessment Series (MRA) 4

Year of publication 2004

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 78 p.

Author FAO/WHO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (series)

ISBN 92 5 104 126 7 (FAO)

Series title Microbiological Risk Assessment Series

Series number 4

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Listeria monocytogenes is widely dispersed in the environment and foods, and is capable of growing even at refrigeration temperatures. Foodborne listeriosis, although relatively rare, is a clinically serious disease with a high case-fatality rate that largely affects specific higher-risk segments of the population. Cases of listeriosis appear to be predominately associated with ready-to-eat products. FAO and WHO have undertaken a risk assessment to addresses the risk of listeriosis associated with such foods and to answer specific risk management questions posed by the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH). This volume provides a summary of that risk assessment. The interpretative summary includes an overview of the risk assessment with a particular focus on information that would be relevant to risk managers faced with addressing problems posed by this pathogen in ready-to-eat foods. It includes answers to the specific risk management questions posed by the CCFH and outlines the issues to be considered when implementing control measures, including the establishment of microbiological criteria. This volume and others in this Microbiological Risk Assessment Series contain information that is useful to both risk assessors and risk managers, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, governments and food regulatory agencies, industries and other people or institutions with an interest in the area of Listeria monocytogenes, its impact on public health and food trade, and th e use of microbiological risk assessment in control strategies.

Language English

Also available in:

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Risk assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods. Technical report. Microbiological Risk Assessment Series (MRA) 5 2004
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Listeria monocytogenes is widely dispersed in the environment and foods, and is capable of growing even at refrigeration temperatures. Foodborne listeriosis, although relatively rare, is a clinically serious disease with a high case-fatality rate that largely affects specific higher-risk segments of the population. Cases of listeriosis appear to be predominately associated with ready-to-eat products. This volume addresses the risk of listeriosis associated with such foods. It has been prepar ed and reviewed by an international group of experts, with input from FAO/WHO expert consultations, the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene, and peer and public review. The sections in this volume include data and methodology relevant to the four steps of risk assessment – hazard identification, exposure assessment, hazard characterization and risk characterization – of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods. It includes four example risk assessments addressing the risk of listeriosis as sociated with fresh milk, ice cream, fermented meats and cold-smoked fish. These products were selected to represent typical classes of ready-to-eat products. This volume and others in this Microbiological Risk Assessment Series contain information that is useful to both risk assessors and risk managers, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, governments and food regulatory agencies, industries and other people or institutions with an interest in the area of Listeria monocytogenes, its impact o n public health and food trade, and the use microbiological risk assessment in control strategies.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods: attribution, characterization and monitoring
    Meeting report
    2022
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Since the publication of the 2004 risk assessment, outbreaks of illness and resultant deaths due to L. monocytogenes continue to occur across the globe. Continued effort is needed to summarize and critically evaluate the most recent information on L. monocytogenes in RTE foods. New data to improve and further inform the 2004 Risk Assessment is available for nearly every factor considered previously, including new quantitative data on L. monocytogenes contamination of foods. To facilitate this work, an FAO/WHO expert meeting was held by virtual means from 20 October to 6 November 2020 to review and discuss the available data and background documents, and to assess the need to modify and update risk assessment models/tools. This report focuses on the deliberations and conclusions of the expert meeting.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Book (stand-alone)
    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Risk Assessment of Microbiological Hazards in Foods 2000
    Also available in:
    Objectives: The consultation examined the technical documents on hazard characterization and exposure assessment of Salmonella spp. in broilers and eggs and L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods, and the draft guidelines on hazard characterization with the following objectives: 1. To provide scientific advice to FAO and WHO Member Countries and Codex on the risk assessment of Salmonella spp. in broilers and eggs and L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods. 2. To provide guidance to FAO and WHO Member Countries and Codex in the form of practical guidelines and methodology for hazard characterization of microbial pathogens. 3. To identify the knowledge gaps and information requirements needed to complete the above-mentioned risk assessments.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.