Infections with Listeria monocytogenes cause an estimated 1,500 hospitalizations and 260 deaths in the United States each year, mostly attributable to consumption of contaminated ready-to-eat (RTE) foods. Cross-contamination of RTE foods during slicing or handling at retail groceries has been identified as a major risk factor. Many questions about how such foods become contaminated remain. Several federal entities (USDA and HHS), state health departments and academia have partnered to collect targeted data and conduct studies to address these questions. This symposium will explore the latest data on the presence, distribution, and transmission of L. monocytogenes at retail, as well as on food-handling practices at retail. In addition to this discussion, we will present a new interagency retail L. monocytogenes risk assessment model, based on these data, that addresses the retail behavior and practices that may contribute to or mitigate the risk of listeriosis from RTE foods. The session will conclude with an industry perspective on how to control L. monocytogenes cross-contamination at retail.

Presentations