The European Union is planning a new initiative to upgrade its regulations on Listeria monocytogenes, in a move that could cause complications for the bloc’s smoked salmon industry, which objects to the need for more rules.
Previously, producers were required to show that listeria was not detected in a 25-gram portion of ready-to-eat food in sufficient quantities that its growth over time would exceed 100 colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g). Now, that requirement will apply to ready-to-eat foods in all situations during their entire shelf life.
Large and sometimes deadly listeria outbreaks in the E.U. have often been linked to cold-smoked salmon products, and an outbreak tied to Lerøy Seafood resulted in more than 700 reports of listeria contamination between August 2022 and November 2023.
Critics of the proposed regulation, in feedback given directly to the European Commission, said those outbreaks would in some cases still have happened even with the new regulations. The Chilled Food Association (CFA), which has helped establish best practices for chilled food since its founding in 1989, said the new regulations will do little to curb listeria outbreaks, as the current issue is a lack of enforcement rather than a need for regulations. The association pointed out that despite ...
