Listeria

CFA-led Listeria guidance supported by FSA and FSS tops 1,500 downloads

CFA’s guidance Assuring Safety of Ready-to-Eat Food (RTE) in Relation to Listeria monocytogenes and Regulation 2073/2005 has been downloaded more than 1,500 times since its launch in January 2026 – reflecting the demand across industry, enforcement and the wider food sector for authoritative, practical guidance ahead of the change to the law on 1 July 2026 in the EU and other jurisdictions applying EU law, e.g. Northern Ireland.

This guidance is a major update of the 2010 CFA/BRC/FSA shelf life guidance and was developed by the CFA-led Industry Listeria Group in direct response to questions arising from the amendment to EU Microbiological Criterion 1.2b. A point the guidance makes clear: the 1 July change does not alter the fundamental shelf life determination requirements that have been in place under Regulation 2073/2005 for nearly 20 years. The amendment tightens the regulatory consequence where a Competent Authority is not satisfied with the basis of shelf life for an RTE food supporting the growth of L. monocytogenes – it does not introduce new methods or mandatory testing regimes. There is no change to longstanding safety or shelf life requirements.

The guidance places HACCP at the centre of food safety assurance and covers shelf life establishment and evidencing, environmental monitoring, ingredient controls, worked examples, enforcement support, and a Q&A addressing common operational and enforcement questions. It was developed with input from major retailers, trade associations, manufacturers, the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland. Copies are available here: https://bit.ly/4rtqmLI

“This vital guidance brings practical clarity to the steps manufacturers and other food business operators must take to assure the safety of RTE foods with respect to L. monocytogenes, including how to establish and evidence shelf life. It places prevention at the centre of operations – with strong HACCP, backed by good hygiene and robust prerequisite programmes.”
Karin Goodburn MBE, Chair, Industry Listeria Group, Chilled Food Association

“We welcome this updated industry-led guidance, which provides practical advice to help food businesses manage the risk of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods. It will support manufacturers, retailers, and enforcement officers in meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining high standards of food safety.”
James Cooper, Deputy Director of Food Policy, Food Standards Agency and Garry Mournian, Head of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Food Standards Scotland

Domestic fridge design comes in from the cold?

Domestic fridge design has remained largely unchanged from a consumer’s perspective since their first use in the 1920s. So a long-overdue project, instigated by Karin Goodburn, and funded by FSRN is ongoing using sensor-based technology to improve the design, performance and usage of domestic fridges.

Previous work revealed that the energy consumption of different models of fridges was down, not to design, but to how they were used.  Analysis of consumer behaviour is therefore key with focus groups providing insights into how people organise their fridges, food waste management, temperature control, willingness to have their fridges monitored and other considerations. Users prioritise functionality, efficiency, and affordability, with some interest in smart features but they have concerns about cost and privacy. ​

The next stage comprises further consumer research and testing with potential sensor systems. These may record air temperature, humidity and energy usage, and could also track how many times the door is opened. The use of a camera will monitor what goes in and out of the fridge and where items are stored.

Karin adds: “The temperature at which food is stored is central to all our work in the chilled food industry. Correct conditions must be maintained at every stage of the food chain and yet for decades that final stage – the temperature of our fridges at home – has remained a frustrating variable. I am therefore delighted that this project is looking at the issue and will, we sincerely hope, give us the information required to influence fridge manufacturers.”

The project is being led by London South Bank University and CFA is collaborating along with Food Standards Scotland, University of Leeds, WRAP, and the ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Met University. ​

4 September 2025

Listeria – the truth around EU regulation changes

In July over 600 people attended Karin Goodburn’s webinar presentation ‘Listeria: The Inconvenient Truth’ at the Royal Society for Public Health. She dispelled myths and hype and provided clarity on the hardening of the regulatory penalty for RTE foods supporting growth of Listeria monocytogenes from next July (2026) in the EU and other jurisdictions applying EU law if shelf life data are not appropriate (criterion 1.2b in assimilated (EU) Reg 2073/2005).

Her presentation set out how there is no change to shelf life assessment requirements that have been in place for RTE foods through the Regulation for nearly 20 years.

Her reassuring clarity was well received attracting positive feedback from attendees: “(It) Was a great session brought me back through all the Listeria hysteria of the 1990’s and the great work CFA have and continue to do in this space.” And “Fantastic session today, thank you Karin for providing absolute clarity through all of the noise on such a fundamental subject for food manufacturers.”

Karin says: “The presentation was developed in response to uncertainty surrounding next year’s changes to Listeria legislation criterion in the EU and jurisdictions applying EU Law (e.g. Northern Ireland). The change only applies if the Competent Authority is not satisfied with the basis of shelf life for a ready to eat food supporting the growth of Lm. Under the changes individual EU Member States will continue to decide how shelf life should be established. However, the European Commission has made it clear that there is, for example, no requirement nor expectation that challenge testing be done whether other shelf life data are available. We are currently awaiting refreshed EC informal guidance on shelf life establishment.

“We are working with FSA, FSS, FSANI and FSA Wales refreshing the 2010 CFA/BRC/FSA Shelf life of ready to eat food in relation to Listeria monocytogenes – Guidance for food business operators (download) to make this explicit and reaffirm existing requirements in shelf life establishment.”

4 September 2025

 

Listeria legislation not broken – don’t fix it!

CFA, its members and their retail customers,
have long been at the forefront of the development
of best practice, control and regulation of
Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in the UK, Europe and beyond. CFA’s various Listeria guidance documents are available as free downloads.

CFA’s unique members-only dataset of more than three million food and production area data points, collected over the past 12 years, is the most comprehensive in the world. CFA and its members use the data to benchmark performance and to verify efficacy of hygiene control measures and that shelf lives are appropriate.

European listeriosis data consistently show UK rates to be half of that for Europe overall. Outside the UK, commercial enforcement by customers is often lacking and differing interpretations of regulations lead to a lack of consistent compliance.

Against this background the European Commission is expected to propose changes to Lm legislation (EU Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs Regulation 2073/2005). This is expected to require challenge testing to set shelf life, rather than the established and proven effective Day of Production (DOP) and End of Life (EOL) approach, coupled with storage trials.

The expected changes will particularly affect chilled foods made on the Continent, where shelf lives are substantially longer than those in the UK’s tightly controlled local market – but changes would also impact export to the EU. Increased waste would result from consequent reduced shelf lives, with increased prices from highly specialised and narrowly applicable testing – all with questionable food safety benefits.

Earlier this year, when the proposals came to light, CFA established a pan-industry group to respond to them. With a membership comprising trade associations, CFA members and retailers, and also liaising with European Federations including the European Chilled Food Federation, it is gathering information and intelligence to present to the EC to show that the proposed changes are not necessary for food safety, but the originally agreed approach that was adopted by the UK, is.

As CFA Director General Karin Goodburn MBE explains: “The systems the UK chilled food sector has in place to detect and control Listeria have worked extremely well for the last 16 years since the EU Regulations came into force. This is illustrated in our more than three million datapoints on Listeria – the largest data set of its type in the world. This is just one way in which we are able to prove that what is being proposed will not improve food safety.

“The EU’s approach is also flawed in that it only covers the testing of food and does not address critical hygienic control of the food production environment. We can see no obvious public health or sustainability benefit to the changes and will continue to lobby the EC to retain the DOP/EOL and storage trial approach as it is demonstrably highly effective. In short, when it comes to European Listeria legislation – it’s not broken, please don’t fix it!”

Published 20 October 2021