Spain – Establishment of the safe shelf life of certain ready-to-eat, sliced ​​​​and prepacked foods in the retail trade, in relation to the risk of Listeria monocytogenes

Report approved by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Food Safety in April 2022.

The Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) asked the Scientific Advisory Committee on Food Safety for an opinion on the safe shelf life of Listeria monocytogenes in certain products (cheeses, cooked meats, including pâtés, and cured meats) sliced ​​​​and prepackaged. before sale in retail.

The results of the evaluation indicated that the pre-packaged foods ready for consumption evaluated from the group of cheeses, cooked ham, pâtés and foie require the indication of “expiration date”, since the handling conditions expose the product to a potential contamination. by L. monocytogenes and the pH and _w (water activity) characteristics associated with these products are favorable for their growth.

The report was presented on June 20, 2022.