USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued an updated compliance guideline entitled “Controlling Listeria monocytogenes in Post-lethality Exposed Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products.” The guidance document provides specific recommendations that facilities producing post-lethality exposed ready-to-eat (RTE) poultry and meat products may follow to meet the requirements of 9 CFR Part 430, the Listeria Rule.
The guideline also provides information on sanitation, testing for Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), and prevention of cross contamination. The document updates and replaces the previous version of the guidance, which was issued in 2006. Once the guidance is formally published, FSIS will accept comments for 60 days. The agency anticipates updating the document in response to comments.
Hogan Lovells memorandum about the new document is available here and the 133-page compliance guideline from FSIS is available here.
