The European Commission (EC) has updated its food safety rules on the microbiological criteria of Listeria monocytogenes after a report found that Listeria cases have risen in the EU. The amendments focus on the threat of Listeria in ready-to-eat foods (RTE). 

Previous rules on the microbiological criteria required RTE producers to provide evidence of no Listeria in a 25-gram sample. However, once the sample leaves the production facility, no further checks are required. 

The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) latest report found that between 2021 and 2022, the number of listeriosis cases recorded in the EU increased by 15.9%, with 2022 seeing the highest number of cases in one year for the last decade. This information prompted the EC’s amendment. 

The EC has extended responsibility to anyone handling RTE food, including distributors and retailers, to ensure that levels of Listeria are monitored throughout the supply chain. 

Listeria can cause serious foodborne illness and is particularly serious in the young and elderly. If Listeria grows more than 100 bacteria per gram in a food product, there is a much higher risk of consumers falling ill. The amendments will come into place on 1 July 2025.