Food contaminated with Listeria bacteria can cause foodborne illness.
The bacteria are everywhere—in soil and water and on animals. Listeria bacteria are hard to kill and can grow at refrigerated temperatures.
Each year, 1,600 Americans become sick and 260 die from Listeria.
You’re more likely to get sick if you’re:
- Pregnant.
- Pregnant women are 10 times more likely to get sick from Listeria.
- Older.
- Immune-compromised.
- Newborn.
 Illness can vary from mild to deadly.
Symptoms can include:
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Aches.
- Fever.
Pregnant women may have:
- Flu-like symptoms.
- Premature delivery.
- Miscarriage.
Older and immune-compromised people may have:
- Headache and stiff neck.
- Confusion.
- Reduced alertness.
- Blood infection.
- Meningitis.
People can get sick within hours or several weeks after eating contaminated food.
Foods more likely to have Listeria include:
- Deli meat.
- Hot dogs.
- Soft cheese, like queso fresco and bleu cheese.
- Smoked fish.
- Dairy, like milk and ice cream.
- Salads.
- Deli salads.
- Raw sprouts.
Prevent Listeria.
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Wash raw produce—Don’t forget to wash produce like melons and avocados. Even though you don’t eat the peel, your knife can carry germs from the outside into the part you eat.
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Check your refrigerator—Use your thermometer to make sure food is cold. Throw out food above 41°F. Stop using a refrigerator that is broken. Fix or replace it right away.
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Date mark refrigerated food—Serve, freeze, or discard cold food within 7 days. Track how long you keep foods like deli meat, hot dogs, salad, smoked seafood, soft cheese, and soft-serve ice cream.
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Break the cycle—Mark the date on equipment like ice cream machines. Empty equipment and discard food at least once a week. Do not add new food to old food.
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Clean and sanitize surfaces—Cleaning and sanitizing are different. Both are important. Cleaning removes debris. Sanitizing kills germs. Sanitizing won’t work if the surface isn’t clean. Clean and sanitize dishes, utensils, work surfaces, and equipment. You must clean and sanitize most surfaces every 4 hours.
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Scrub surfaces—Beware of where metal and plastic meet, like the hilt of a knife. Listeria can build up in hard-to-reach places that a dishwasher may not clean.
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Sanitize—Test your sanitizer to make sure it’s effective. Too much sanitizer leaves a chemical residue. Too little doesn’t kill germs.
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Fully cook raw meat and seafood—Cooking kills Listeria. Keep raw meat and seafood separate from cooked food and produce.
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Repair leaks—Stagnant water allows Listeria to grow. Fix leaking refrigerators and plumbing.
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Wash your hands—Wash after handling raw meat, raw produce, or potentially contaminated surfaces.
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Train employees—Make sure everyone handles food safely. Verify proper cleaning and sanitizing takes place.
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Clean large equipment.
You must clean some equipment, like ice cream machines, slicers, or food processors, in place. Not all pieces can go in the dishwasher.
Scrub and sanitize every part that touches food. Listeria can hide in tubes, joints, and hard-to-reach places. It can build up a film that is tough to remove. You may need special brushes to clean tubing and other parts of the equipment.
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Ice cream machines.
Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning procedures. You must clean most machines daily. You may need to rinse after you sanitize.
Don’t forget to date mark ice cream machines. Empty and discard the ice cream from the machine at least once a week.
Slicers and food processors.
Break down slicers to clean correctly. Scrub smaller pieces before they go in the dishwasher. Thoroughly clean and sanitize the base. Look for missing or damaged seals. Stop using broken equipment immediately.
Report foodborne illness to the Health Department, call (253) 649-1417.
Call your healthcare provider right away if you feel sick. Do not work or prepare food for others until your symptoms are gone for 48 hours.
We’re here to help! Reach out if you have any questions about how to prevent Listeria in your facility.
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