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October 1, 2003

Key messages on Listeria for IDFA members

FDA Listeria Risk Assessment: Talking Points

Prepared by the International Dairy Foods Association
Contact: Susan Ruland
(202) 220-3549

• Dairy products are safe, and FDA's assessment reconfirms this.
• There have been no significant outbreaks of listeriosis related to commercially produced dairy products in this country for almost 20 years. The reason is that pasteurization kills listeria. Also, the dairy industry follows very strict practices and complies with stringent regulations to ensure food safety.
• According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, of the 90,000 cases of foodborne illness in the United States in the past 12 years (all types, not just listeriosis), only 3.5% of cases were linked to dairy foods. The number of listeriosis cases is far fewer, with no serious outbreaks or death from commercially produced dairy foods in almost 20 years.
• Dairy plants use sophisticated processing and cleaning operations to prevent contamination of Listeria monocytogenes and other pathogens. Dairy plants regularly test their plant environments and equipment for the presence of listeria.
• Americans are fortunate that listeriosis remains rare. Nonetheless, it is important for sensitive populations to take some easy precautions to avoid the chance of foodborne illness.
• It has long been recognized that sensitive populations — such as pregnant women and immuno-compromised individuals — should avoid drinking unpasteurized milk. They also should not eat soft cheeses such as Feta, Brie and Camembert, soft blue-veined cheese, and "queso blanco," unless they are labeled as made from pasteurized milk.
• As with any perishable food, consumers need to be aware that some dairy foods are susceptible to pathogen growth once they are purchased and used at home. Proper handling - including prompt refrigeration and attention to code dates — is important in avoiding foodborne illness.
• The U.S. dairy industry has an excellent food safety record. Dairy companies have implemented model food safety programs within their plants, particularly since the mid-1980s, that have significantly increased food safety in dairy food manufacturing.

Supplemental Talking Points for Milk

• The report states that the chances of getting listeriosis from one serving of pasteurized milk are almost non-existent — in the 1 billion-to-1 range.
• More than 95% of U.S. households have milk in their refrigerators. It is only because of this high frequency of use, statistically, that milk appears in the FDA rankings. Milk is an extremely safe food, and this report supports that by showing the extremely low odds of listeriosis.
• IDFA, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration, do not recommend that anyone consume unpasteurized milk. In fact, many states have for a long time outlawed the sale of raw milk.
• There has not been a serious outbreak of listeriosis in this country linked to pasteurized milk in almost 20 years. This is because pasteurization kills listeria, and because of the stringent food safety practices in milk plants.

Supplemental Talking Points for Cheese

• We agree with FDA that pregnant women and immuno-compromised individuals should avoid certain foods, particularly "raw" animal products. For dairy products, that includes unpasteurized milk; as well as soft cheeses such as Feta, Brie and Camembert, soft blue-veined cheese, and "queso blanco," unless they are labeled as made from pasteurized milk.
• Susceptible consumers should be particularly careful to only purchase cheese from reputable, commercial manufacturers. In the past, foodborne illness has resulted from soft fresh cheeses sold by street vendors or made at home using unpasteurized milk. Cheeses made in modern cheese plants using good manufacturing practices are very safe.
• There has not been a serious outbreak of listeriosis in this country linked to commercially made cheese in almost 20 years. This is because of the stringent food safety practices in commercial cheese plants.
• Queso blanco is a fresh white cheese that is popular in some Hispanic communities. This cheese sometimes is homemade or made by street vendors who may or may not use pasteurized milk and good manufacturing practices.
• California and Washington state both have programs alerting Hispanic consumers to the importance of avoiding soft fresh cheese that is not made by a commercial manufacturer that uses good manufacturing practices. By law, fresh, non-aged cheeses sold in supermarkets must be made from pasteurized milk, and are a very low risk when handled properly by the consumer.

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