PURAC Helps to Control Listeria in Food Products

27/03/08 The European Safety Authority (EFSA) has warned the food industry that Listeria is on the rise following an increased number of human cases of the disease listeriosis between 2005 en 2006.

In particular, the high variance in storage temperatures at both retail and domestic refrigerators cause reasons for concern.

PURAC is helping the food industry by controlling Listeria monocytogenes through its range of preservation products and by its Listeria Control Models.

Listeria monocytogenes is the bacterium which causes the disease Listeriosis. Most cases of Listeriosis are caused by the consumption of ready-to-eat foods, such as meat products or deli salads. Listeriosis is a rare but potentially lethal food-borne infection which can kill vulnerable people such as the elderly and pregnant women as well as people suffering from immuno-compromising diseases such as cancer or HIV.

The EFSA has therefore taken several measures to reverse the trend. One of its measures, which has an impact on the food industry, is its maximum safety tolerance levels for Listeria in food products. The EFSA will tolerate 100 cfu/g throughout the shelf life of ready-to-eat food products provided that the manufacturer is able to demonstrate that the product will not exceed this limit throughout the shelf life.

PURAC can assist you in achieving this regulatory target by the introduction of Listeria Control Models for cooked meat products as well as for deli salads. These interactive models help to predict the growth of Listeria throughout the shelf life. They are unique tools that allow you to calculate the level of PURAC product needed to control Listeria for their required shelf life.

Besides the models, PURAC provides a range of preservatives which can help you to make your food products safer throughout their shelf-life, such as lactic acid, combinations of organic acids or combinations of lactates with diacetate.