Consumer Awareness of Listeria
Most consumers have no idea what Listeria is. In fact, the spell-check for Word considers Listeria a misspelling and questions whether it should be "wisteria." A study published in the Journal of Food Protection found that less than half of the consumers surveyed were aware of Listeria. The study found that lack of consumer awareness did not translate into risky storage practices, except that some demographic groups did store opened packages of vacuum-packed deli meats and freshly sliced deli meats for longer than the recommended time, 3 to 5 days.
Listeria is a foodborne, bacterial pathogen that kills about 500 people in the United States every year. Listeria outbreaks (incidences where 2 or more people are confirmed to have Listeria poisoning) are most commonly associated with ready-to-eat meats, including hot dogs, luncheon meats, cold cuts, fermented or dry sausage, and other deli-style meat and poultry. Soft cheeses are another common source of Listeria outbreaks.
The very young, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are most at risk for contracting a Listeria infection, known as listeriosis. To prevent listeriosis, follow the following guidelines:
- Cook all meat thoroughly
- Reheat ready-to-eat meat until steaming
- Follow government guidelines on storage of hot dogs and deli meats (below)
- Keep your kitchen clean of harmful bacteria
- Drink only pasteurized milk, juice, or cider
- Avoid soft cheeses
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly
- Be aware of the water you drink
- Wash hands with soap
Storing hot dogs and deli meats for an extended period of time can allow Listeria bacteria time to multiply if it is present. The following are FDA guidelines for safe storage:
Hot Dog StoragePritzker | Ruohonen is one of only a few law firms in the United States that practices extensively in the area of food poisoning litigation. The firm is currently lead counsel in for a major Listeria lawsuit involving turkey deli meat that sickened over 50 people and killed 2 people. To contact a lawyer at Pritzker | Ruohonen for a free consultation, call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or e-mail fhp@pritzkerlaw.com. Read about Listeria attorney Fred Pritzker on the Pritzker | Ruohonen website, www.pritzkerlaw.com.
- Refrigerater: Unopened 2 weeks, opened 1 week
- Freezer: 1 to 2 months
Deli Meat (Lunch Meat) Storage
- Refrigerater: Unopened 2 weeks (if vacuum-packed), opened 3 to 5 days
- Freezer: 1 to 2 months
Sources:
- Cates, Sheryl C., Morales, Roberta A., Karns, Shawn A., Jaykus, Lee-Ann, Kosa, Katherine M., Teneyck, Toby, and Moore, Christina M., Consumer knowledge, storage, and handling practices regarding Listeria in frankfurters and deli meats: Results of a web-based survey, Journal of Food Protection 69, no. 7, (2006): 1630-1639.
- FDA Refrigeration and Freezer Storage Chart, http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fttstore.html.
Is there any possibility of listeria contaminating ready to eat food products based on processed cereals and pulses flour?
what is listeria's MID / MLD?
For an answer to your question, you should contact your state health department and talk with an epidemiologist. Epidemiologists are the scientific detectives that look for sources of foodborne outbreaks.