Preventing Listeriosis
Consumers can prevent Listeria by:
- washing hands carefully
- keeping your food preparation areas clean
- avoiding unpasteurized beverages
- cooking and serving your food at the appropriate temperatures
- being careful when dealing with animals
Be especially cautious if you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system.
Recommendations for persons at high risk, such as pregnant women and persons with weakened immune systems:
- Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
- Avoid cross-contaminating other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces with fluid from hot dog packages, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, and deli meats.
- Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, and Mexican-style cheeses such as "queso blanco fresco." Cheeses that may be eaten include hard cheeses; semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella; pasteurized processed cheese slices and spreads; cream cheese; and cottage cheese.
- Do not eat refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable pâtés and meat spreads may be eaten.
- Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained
in a cooked dish, such as a casserole.
- Refrigerated smoked seafood, is most often labeled
as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered,"
"smoked," or "jerky" such as:
- salmon
- trout
- whitefish
- cod
- tuna
- or mackerel
- The fish is found in the refrigerator section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens.
- Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood may be eaten.
- Refrigerated smoked seafood, is most often labeled
as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered,"
"smoked," or "jerky" such as:
Minimizing Your Risk
- Wash hands after using the bathroom and changing diapers, and before
handling or eating any food.
- Make sure that persons with diarrhea, especially children, wash their
hands carefully and frequently with soap to reduce the risk of spreading
the infection.
- Always wash hands after contact with farm animals, pets, animal feces,
and animal environments.
- Hand
Hygiene
Wash Your Hands!
Keep your food at the appropriate temperatures
- Thoroughly cook raw meat and poultry to destroy the bacteria.
- Defrost food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave.
Food should be stored in a refrigerator that is 40°F or cooler or
a freezer that is 0°F or cooler.
Keep your food preparation areas clean
- Never place cooked meat or poultry on the unwashed plate that held
the raw product.
- Wash raw fruits and vegetables before eating.
- Keep raw meat and poultry separate from produce and other
foods when shopping for and storing groceries.
- Wash hands, cutting boards, countertops, cutlery, and utensils
after touching raw poultry or meat.
- Drink only pasteurized milk, juice, or cider.
- Avoid foods made from unpasteurized milk.
Be careful when dealing with animals
- Always wash hands after contact with farm animals, pets, animal feces,
and animal environments.
Do you suspect that you have a foodborne illness? Visit reporting suspected foodborne illnesses.
