Play it safe with deli meats and soft cheeses

By Debbie Botzek-Linn, University of Minnesota Extension

ST. PAUL, Minn. (4/28/2008) — Listeria is a type of bacteria found in soil and ground water and on plants. If food becomes contaminated with listeria it can cause a serious illness known as listeriosis. The people who are most at risk for this food-borne illness are pregnant women and their unborn babies and newborns, along with older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

One of the food safety challenges with listeria is that it can grow at a refrigeration temperature of 40 degrees or below and is found in ready-to-eat foods. Because of this, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising all consumers to reduce the risk of listeriosis by:

• Storing perishable foods that are precooked or ready-to-eat at 40 degrees or lower and eat as soon as possible.

• Use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure that the refrigerator stays at 40 degrees or below.

• Clean refrigerators regularly.

In addition, the following recommendations are given for persons at high risk, again pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems:

• Do not eat hot dogs and luncheon meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot (160 degrees). Avoid getting fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils and food preparation surfaces, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats and deli meats.

• Eat hard cheeses instead of soft cheeses. Avoid soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, blue-veined cheeses, queso blanco, and queso fresco unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pasteurized milk. Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk.

• Do not eat refrigerated pates or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable pates and meat spreads may be eaten.

• Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Canned seafood may be eaten.

Any use of this article must include the byline or following credit line:
Debbie Botzek-Linn is a food science educator with University of Minnesota Extension.

Media Contact: Catherine Dehdashti, U of M Extension (612) 625-0237, ced@umn.edu

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