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