EU Listeria legislation change
To strengthen consumer protection and safety of products
EU Listeria legislation change | What food businesses need to know
Food businesses supplying ready-to-eat (RTE) products to the EU and Northern Ireland should be aware of important changes to Listeria monocytogenes requirements introduced under Regulation (EU) 2024/2895, which came into effect on 1 July 2026. This amendment to Regulation (EC) 2073/2005 aims to strengthen consumer protection and places greater emphasis on demonstrating the safety of products throughout their shelf-life.
Under the revised legislation, manufacturers of certain RTE foods that support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes must either demonstrate the absence of the organism in 25g for the entire shelf-life or provide evidence that levels will remain below 100 cfu/g throughout shelf-life.
Although the regulation has not currently been adopted into Great Britain law, it applies to food products placed on the EU and Northern Ireland markets. Businesses exporting to these markets should review their microbiological testing strategies, environmental monitoring programmes and shelf-life validation data to ensure continued compliance.
Products likely to be affected include cold-smoked fish, soft cheeses, cooked sliced meats, salads, sandwiches, pâté and fresh cream cakes.
Eurofins Food Testing UK can support businesses through a range of services, including Listeria testing, shelf-life verification, challenge testing, predictive modelling, environmental monitoring and microbiological risk assessments, helping manufacturers demonstrate compliance and protect consumers.
How Eurofins Food Testing can support
Monitoring Listeria monocytogenes is essential to ensure food safety. Our services include:
- Standard methods: ISO 11290-1 (detection) and ISO 11290-2 (enumeration)
- Chromogenic methods
- Immunological methods: Enable automated testing and eliminate operator reading
- PCR method: Provides very rapid detection results
Our experienced teams work alongside your business to ensure a consistent, defensible and proportionate response, helping to protect both consumers and your brand.
Learn more about our Listeria testing services
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Would you like to find out more about our testing solutions, access our competence centre services, or do you need tailored analytical or consultancy support?
Contact Eurofins Food Testing UK today to speak to our experts by submitting an enquiry form or calling +44 (0) 845 604 6740.