Med. Weter. 81
full text
| AGNIESZKA JACKOWSKA-TRACZ, PAWEŁ PNIEWSKI, MICHAŁ TRACZ |
| new legal approach for microbiological criterion for L. monocytogenes in RTE foods. |
| Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2895 amends the practical application of criterion 1.2 of Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 for ready-to-eat foods that support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes. The amendment does not modify the microbiological limits themselves, yet clarifies the regulatory consequence of insufficient evidence. The limit of 100 CFU/g may be applied only where the FBO demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the competent authority, that this level will not be exceeded throughout the entire shelf life. In the absence of such a demonstration, the stricter criterion „not detected in 25 g” also applies to products already on the market during their shelf life. This clarification is particularly relevant for RTE foods, including meat, fishery and dairy products, which remain important areas of official veterinary control. The revised interpretation of criterion 1.2 reinforces an evidence-based approach to food safety management: the selected microbiological criterion should be supported by product-specific data and integrated with product classification, shelf-life justification, environmental monitoring, validation of control measures and verification of HACCP-based procedures. From the perspective of official control, the key issue is not only which limit has been selected, but whether the documentation allows an informed assessment of why that limit is appropriate for the product concerned. Regulation (EU) 2024/2895, therefore, makes the evidence supporting the selected L. monocytogenes criterion a central element of compliance for FBOs and competent authorities supervising foods of animal origin.. |
| Keywords: Listeria monocytogenes; RTE food; growth potential; microbiological criteria; criterion 1.2; Regulation (EU) 2024/2895; HACCP; official veterinary control |