WASHINGTON — On Dec. 17, the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced several steps to strengthen its oversight of Listeria, which has recently been the cause of numerous illnesses and in some cases, even death.

FSIS is reviewing its processes but has announced initiatives that can be implemented quickly to help prevent future outbreaks.

“These steps are common sense improvements to our work that will strengthen our food safety net as we continue improving the agency’s work to align with the best available science and practices,” said Emilio Esteban, USDA undersecretary for food safety.

Within the next 30 days, FSIS will roll out the following initiatives across three categories:

Enhancing FSIS’ regulatory and sampling approach to Listeria 

  • Effective January 2025, FSIS will add broader Listeria species testing to all samples of ready-to-eat product, environmental and food contact surfaces. FSIS laboratories currently test these samples for Listeria monocytogenes, which is the specific type of Listeria species that causes illness. However, adding additional species testing to the agency’s regulatory framework will help provide more information about the effectiveness of a facility’s sanitation program and can signal if a follow up is needed.
  • FSIS will leverage the expertise of its National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF), a federal advisory committee that provides scientific advice and recommendations to government agencies on microbiological and public health issues. In December, FSIS will begin recruiting new committee members, who will be given the specific charge of reviewing the agency’s regulatory approach to Listeria monocytogenes.

Equipping FSIS inspectors with updated training and tools

  • FSIS will update its instructions and training for food safety inspectors to better equip the workforce to recognize and highlight systemic problems in a standardized way. Agency inspectors will receive updated instructions and training, and FSIS field supervisors will routinely review these instructions with inspectors to ensure full understanding and appropriate application. Inspectors will also receive supplemental Listeria monocytogenes control training designed to help strengthen inspectors’ understanding of the regulatory requirements in FSIS’ Listeria Rule and how to verify establishments have designed and implemented food safety systems that comply with those requirements.
  • FSIS will conduct Food Safety Assessments at ready-to-eat meat and poultry facilities. In 2025, FSIS is prioritizing the completion of Food Safety Assessments at ready-to-eat meat and poultry facilities that rely exclusively on sanitation measures to control for Listeria. These reviews will provide information about the plants individually and collectively and could inform future policy or process changes to target this microorganism.
  • FSIS field supervisors will conduct in-person, follow-up visits when systemic issues are identified during a Food Safety Assessment. Follow-up visits by FSIS field supervisors will bolster oversight from more senior inspection staff to ensure a facility fully addresses issues identified during a Food Safety Assessment and could inform enforcement action by FSIS. Field supervisors will work with inspectors to ensure the facility stays in compliance.

Tightening oversight of regulated establishments

  • FSIS inspectors will verify specific Listeria-monocytogenes-related risk factors at ready-to-eat facilities weekly. These risk factors include changes in physical plant modifications, such as new construction; indicators of sanitation problems, such as condensation, roof leaks, damaged equipment or cracked floors; and Listeria species or Listeria monocytogenes positive test results from company testing. FSIS district offices, agency field supervisors and inspectors will review, analyze and consider the weekly data from each facility to determine if there are systemic issues that warrant further action.
  • FSIS will clarify state and federal requirements for consistent oversight of Talmadge-Aiken (TA) programs through updated cooperative agreements and instructions. Through updated cooperative agreements with each participating state, FSIS will set specific requirements, including clear expectations for oversight, enforcing federal food safety laws, comprehensive federal training for TA inspectors and enhanced regular coordination with FSIS. FSIS will also designate field and headquarters positions assigned to TA oversight, will clarify training requirements and criteria to start, and maintain and terminate state inspection coverage of an establishment.
  • FSIS will revise establishment-review alert triggers. One significant criterion used to guide a district office’s decision to conduct a Public Health Risk Evaluation (PHRE), which typically precedes a Food Safety Assessment, is a monthly list of facilities with higher rates of noncompliance related to public health that is generated using an algorithm. Using additional data from the new weekly verification of Listeria-monocytogenes-related risk factors, FSIS intends to update its algorithm and triggers to better identify high-risk facilities.

Recent events that have spurred on these new processes and training include a Listeria outbreak stemming from sliced deli meats, including Boar’s Head liverwurst, as well as a more recent outbreak in Yu Shang Food ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.