Deli Items May Dish Up Dose Of Listeria : Part 2

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 2 of 3)

Thorough cooking will destroy L. monocytogenes on foods. Nonetheless, FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) are working to reduce contamination of raw foods by L. monocytogenes and other potentially harmful bacteria.

From information gathered in its surveillance projects conducted in the 1980s, CDC estimates that about 1,850 cases of human listeriosis occur each year. The incidence, however, varies from state to state. CDC is encouraging state health departments to conduct surveillance programs for listeriosis so that outbreaks may be rapidly identified and investigated.

As the U.S. population ages and more people live longer with cancer and other illnesses that lower immunity, many experts believe the number of people at risk for listeriosis is likely to increase.

Surveillance data also indicate that each year about 425 U.S. deaths are related to L. monocytogenes. The probability of death varies greatly, depending on the patient's age and immunity. About 5 percent of the 9,000 food poisoning deaths each year are due to listeriosis.

Preliminary data suggest that the rate of listeriosis may have declined substantially during 1991 in several areas, perhaps related to intensified efforts to reduce Listeria contamination of foods.

Listeriosis can be positively diagnosed only by culturing the organism from blood or cerebrospinal fluid. Listeriosis can be treated with antibiotic drugs such as penicillin or ampicillin.

'Zero Tolerance'

Neither FSIS nor FDA will accept any detectable L. monocytogenes in cooked, ready-to-eat food. This is called a "zero tolerance" for the bacteria.

Both agencies have testing programs for L. monocytogenes. The goal of these programs is to help government and industry identify the causes of contamination in processing plants and make changes that will reduce L. monocytogenes contamination, prevent problems, and ensure a safe food supply. Both agencies can detain products at food processing plants, request a voluntary recall of products, or seize products through court order, if necessary.

Initially, FSIS regulatory testing programs included selected cooked meat products. Following a CDC report that traced the first case of listerial meningitis to incompletely heated turkey franks eaten by a cancer patient, FSIS expanded the L. monocytogenes monitoring program to further prevent the sale of any cooked and ready-to-eat foods or poultry products from which the bacteria are isolated. This included cooked sausages (including frankfurters and bologna), cooked roast beef, cooked corned beef, sliced canned ham, sliced canned luncheon meat, jerky, cooked poultry, and poultry and meat salads and spreads.

When L. monocytogenes is found in ready-to-eat meat or poultry products, the plant is notified and the product may be detained at the plant, voluntarily recalled, or seized by court order. From 1987 through March 1992, 27 FSIS-regulated cooked products from 27 firms were recalled, including frankfurters, bologna and other luncheon meat, chicken salad, ham salad, sausages, chicken, sliced turkey breast, and sliced roast beef.

FDA's monitoring programs first concentrated on cheese and dairy products, both domestic and imported. Later, the agency expanded coverage to include other ready-to-eat foods, such as sandwiches, prepared salads, and smoked fish. From 1987 to March 1992, 516 products from 105 firms were recalled.

Both agencies stepped up monitoring and surveillance programs for L. monocytogenes, and the food industry has also taken steps to control the organism.

Controlling Listeria in the Plant

FSIS and FDA have identified the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system as the most effective strategy for controlling L. monocytogenes and other disease-causing bacteria on food products. In addition to encouraging adoption of this strategy by all who handle food, from farm worker to plant processor to consumer, the agencies are working with industry to design strong programs.

In an HACCP program, points at which food risks are more likely to be introduced are identified, and steps are taken to reduce the potential for consumption of unsafe products. For instance, because insufficient cooking of raw meat, poultry or milk may allow disease-causing bacteria to survive, the agencies require adequate cooking temperatures to destroy the bacteria.

The food industry, FSIS, and FDA have conducted workshops to develop recommendations for controlling risks at critical points. Government and industry, including food processors and grocers, are also working with retail establishments and hotels and other institutions to develop measures aimed at controlling the specific hazards identified.

About the Author

www.fda.gov
FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.