010135 FDA, USDA Advises on Listeria Risk

New York - Consumers can lower their risk of contracting a potentially deadly foodborne illness by avoiding unpasteurized foods, cooking food to temperatures high enough to kill the bacteria and cleaning kitchen counters and cutting boards thoroughly.

These are some the recommendations made by the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Department of Agriculture to help consumers reduce their risk of listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can lurk in uncooked food and on unclean surfaces and cause listeriosis. The advice is included in an action plan designed to reduce the risk of illness caused by the bacterium.

While the pathogen causes mild, flu-like symptoms in most people, it can lead to severe illness and death in the elderly, very young children, pregnant women and people whose immune system is already taxed by other disorders such as AIDS and cancer.

According to the government agencies, only 4 to 8 cases per 1 million people in North America and Western Europe contract listeriosis, the more serious form of the disease. Early symptoms include fever, muscle ache and diarrhea. Once the bacteria reach the bloodstream it can cause fever, rapid heartbeat and chills. Patients may experience confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions if the disease reaches the nervous system.

Eating certain foods such as soft cheeses, pate, meat spreads and smoked seafood can increase the risk of contracting the illness among anyone, however. Aged cheeses, ice cream and frozen dairy products and vegetables and fruits were less likely to be contaminated with listeria.

But even these foods can harbor dangerous pathogens if not handled properly. Failing to wash cutting boards after handling meat, for example, could lead to cross-contamination.

“It's a combination of the type of food and the way it is handled...how it is stored and cooked,” Dr. Sue Ferenc, vice president of science and regulatory policy with the Grocery Manufacturers of America, a trade group representing the food industry, said.

The government also advised consumers to use a refrigerator thermometer to ensure that temperatures remain below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to slow the growth of all bacteria, and cooking foods to recommended temperatures. Hamburgers should be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and chicken dishes to 170 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

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