Listeria Food Poisoning Outbreak Prevention Measures Updated by USDA

A series of recent listeria food poisoning outbreaks has prompted federal food inspectors to re-evaluate their review processes and implement several improvements aimed at protecting Americans from severe illnesses in the coming year.

Following a number of high-profile listeria outbreaks earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a press release on December 17, announcing that the agency will be taking stronger measures to protect the American public from listeria bacteria, starting as early as January 2025.

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacterium that causes listeriosis, an illness characterized by fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. While symptoms are often mild in healthy individuals, children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems face a higher risk of severe complications, including hospitalization and death.

Pregnant women and their unborn children are particularly vulnerable to listeriosis. The infection can lead to devastating outcomes, such as premature delivery, miscarriage, or stillbirth, even if the mother experiences only mild symptoms.

The FSIS has announced plans to enhance its review processes in response to concerns over listeria contamination. While the evaluation remains ongoing, the agency has identified three key areas for improvement, with changes set to take effect within 30 days:

• Enhancement of science-based approaches to stop the spread of foodborne pathogens, which will include increased testing of ready-to-eat products, environments and food contact surfaces
• Improvement to tools and training for inspectors, by updating and standardizing inspector instructions, as well as conducting Food Safety Inspections and Assessments through in-person visits and follow-ups
• Evolution of oversight for facilities that the agency regulates, including regular inspections of listeria-related risk factors at ready-to-eat manufacturing plants, and revising alert triggers for further establishment reviews

“As a science-based regulatory agency, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is constantly looking at ways we can and should evolve our processes to protect the public, maintain confidence in America’s food supply, and prevent foodborne illness,” USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety, Dr. Emilio Esteban, said.

Boar’s Head Deli Meat Listeria Outbreak and Others

The FSIS announcement comes on the heels of a major Boar’s Head deli meat listeria outbreak that occurred earlier this year.

Boar’s Head initiated a recall of deli meat products that had been tainted with listeria bacteria on July 26. The injuries caused by this outbreak resulted in a number of Boar’s Head listeria outbreak lawsuits, including several wrongful death lawsuits filed on behalf of individuals who died, as well as a class action lawsuit on behalf of all consumers exposed to the tainted deli meats.

In addition to the Boar’s Head listeria outbreak, there have been numerous other listeria-related outbreaks and recalls in recent months. These include a BrucePac recall of nearly 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat, as well as a frozen waffle recall over listeria risks, traced to TreeHouse Farms products that were sold at Walmart, Target and other major grocery chains.