European Union Aware of Listeria Danger
There a rising concern in both the United States and the European Union (EU) about the risk of Listeria contamination. Listeriosis has recently caused the deaths of three elderly men and a miscarriage due to the Whittier Farms outbreak in the United States. In Europe, the occurrence of listeriosis has increased 8.6%.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released a report warning manufacturers and consumers of the dangers of Listeria and offered advice to protect against outbreaks like Whittier. According to Dairy Reporter,
The EFSA panel recommended that to better assess the risk of the foods responsible for listeriosis it was necessary to investigate listeriosis cases more thoroughly and generate and analyze data on the consumption in the EU of ready-to-eat foods in which Listeria can be found.
Storage temperature at retail and in domestic refrigerators can also vary significantly, raising the risk of growth of the bacteria, said the report. The panel also advised that consumers should take care to keep food at recommended storage temperatures at all times, and take note of the shelf-life of food in their refrigerators.