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.

The new changes will be posted in the upcoming Federal Register. More information is available at www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Const_Update_090712/index.asp

Source: American Meat Institute