FSIS Provides Guidance for Listeria Sampling Programs in Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products

USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing changes it will make in its procedures for Listeria monocytogenes(Lm) product sampling programs in ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. The agency will increase the number of product samples it collects under its routine Risk-based Lm (RLm) sampling program and its intensified verification testing protocol from 3 to 5 samples per sampling unit. In addition, FSIS laboratories will composite the five 25-g product samples from the RLm sampling program, which will increase the sample size of the analyzed test portion from 25 g to 125 g. This will make sampling procedures more consistent with international practices and conserve laboratory resources.