Listeriosis is a foodborne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes, bacteria found in soil and water. It can be in a variety of raw foods as well as in processed foods and foods made from unpasteurized milk. Listeria is unlike many other germs because it can grow even in the cold temperature of the refrigerator.

Symptoms include fever and chills, headache, upset stomach and vomiting. Treatment is with antibiotics.

Anyone can get the illness. But it is most likely to affect pregnant women and unborn babies, older adults, and people with weak immune systems. To reduce your risk

• Use precooked and ready-to-eat foods as soon as you can
• Avoid raw milk and raw milk products
• Heat ready-to-eat foods and leftovers until they are steaming hot
• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables
• Avoid rare meat and refrigerated smoked seafood

A listeria infection or listeriosis is an infection caused by a bacteria known as Listeria monocytogenes. It mainly affects newborn infants, elderly patients, pregnant women and patients who have low immunity. Listeria can be spread by several methods. A common cause is ingestion (food-borne transmission) of unpasteurized milk or contaminated vegetables. It can also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or directly to the newborn at the time of delivery. Listeriosis can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on the person and the part of the body affected. Pregnant women typically have only fever and other flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle aches. However, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn, including generalized infection (sepsis) or inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain (meningitis). Sometimes listeriosis involves many organs and presents with masses filled with pus (microabscesses or granulomas). Older children with Listeria infections frequently develop meningitis. Treatment include antibiotics such as ampicillin and aminoglycosides.

What is listeriosis?

Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by the germ Listeria monocytogenes. People usually become ill with listeriosis after eating contaminated food. The disease primarily affects pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. It’s rare for people in other groups to get sick with Listeria infection.

Listeriosis is usually a mild illness for pregnant women, but it causes severe disease in the fetus or newborn baby. Some people with Listeria infections, most commonly adults 65 years and older and people with weakened immune systems, develop severe infections of the bloodstream (causing sepsis) or brain (causing meningitis or encephalitis). Listeria infections can sometimes affect other parts of the body, including bones, joints, and sites in the chest and abdomen.

What are the symptoms of listeriosis?

Listeriosis can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on the person and the part of the body affected. Listeria can cause fever and diarrhea similar to other foodborne germs, but this type of Listeria infection is rarely diagnosed. Symptoms in people with invasive listeriosis, meaning the bacteria has spread beyond the gut, depend on whether the person is pregnant.

• Pregnant women: Pregnant women typically experience only fever and other flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle aches. However, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
• People other than pregnant women: Symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches.

People with invasive listeriosis usually report symptoms starting 1 to 4 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria; some people have reported symptoms starting as late as 70 days after exposure or as early as the same day of exposure.

How is listeriosis diagnosed and treated?

Listeriosis is usually diagnosed when a bacterial culture (a type of laboratory test) grows Listeria monocytogenes from a body tissue or fluid, such as blood, spinal fluid, or the placenta.

Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics.

How do people get infected with Listeria?

Listeriosis is usually caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. If infection occurs during pregnancy, Listeria bacteria can spread to the baby through the placenta.

What should I do if I ate a food that may have been contaminated with Listeria?

You should seek medical care and tell the doctor about eating possibly contaminated food if you have a fever and other symptoms of possible listeriosis, such as fatigue and muscle aches, within two months after eating possibly contaminated food. This is especially important if you are pregnant, age 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system.

If you ate food possibly contaminated with Listeria and do not feel sick, most experts believe you do not need tests or treatment. Talk with your medical provider if you have questions about what to do after eating possibly contaminated food.

Is listeriosis a serious disease?

Most people with invasive listeriosis require hospital care, and about one in five people with the infection die. When listeriosis occurs during pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or newborn death. Listeriosis during pregnancy results in fetal loss in about 20% and newborn death in about 3% of cases.

How many people get listeriosis every year?

Every year, about 1,600 people get listeriosis in the United States.

Are outbreaks of listeriosis common?

A few outbreaks of listeriosis are identified most years. Even though most cases of listeriosis are not part of recognized outbreaks, outbreak investigations help show which foods are sources of listeriosis.

How can I help protect myself and my family from infection?

People who are more likely to get a Listeria infection (pregnant women, people 65 years or older, and people with a weakened immune system) and those who prepare food for them can:

• Know which foods are risky.
• Avoid drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk or eating soft cheeses made from it.
• Be aware that Mexican-style cheeses made from pasteurized milk, such as queso fresco, have caused Listeria infections, likely because they were contaminated during cheese-making.
• Heat deli meats and hot dogs until steaming hot before eating.
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use within 3-4 days.
• Avoid cross-contamination in the refrigerator or other places in the kitchen.
• Use a thermometer to make sure your refrigerator is 40°F or lower and your freezer is 0°F or lower.

Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) found in soil and water. Vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer.

Animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill and can contaminate foods of animal origin such as meats and dairy products. The bacterium has been found in a variety of raw foods, such as uncooked meats and vegetables, as well as in processed foods that become contaminated after processing, such as soft cheeses and cold cuts at the deli counter. Unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk may contain the bacterium.

Listeria is killed by cooking; however, processing steps which take place after cooking (e.g. slicing) can allow Listeria to contaminate ready-to-eat foods like deli meats and hot dogs.

CDC estimates that Listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness, or food poisoning, in the United States. An estimated 1,600 people get sick from Listeria each year, and about 260 die.

Listeria is most likely to sicken pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems. Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.

Who has a greater chance of Listeria infection?

CDC estimates that Listeria is the third leading cause of death from food poisoning in the United States. About 1,600 people get sick from Listeria each year, and about 260 die. Pregnant women and their newborns are much more likely to get a Listeria infection, which is called listeriosis.

Did You Know?

• Pregnant women are 10 times more likely than other people to get Listeria infection.

• Pregnant Hispanic women are 24 times more likely than other people to get Listeria infection.

• Pregnant women with a Listeria infection can pass the infection to their unborn babies.

• Listeria infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, and preterm labor.

• Listeria infection can cause serious illness and even death in newborns.

Food Safety Tips

• Wash your hands the right way – for 20 seconds with soap and running water.
• Use a thermometer to make sure your refrigerator is 40°F or lower and your freezer is 0°F or lower.
• Keep raw meat away from fresh produce and other ready-to-eat food, to avoid contamination.
• Thaw or marinate foods in the refrigerator, never on the counter or in the kitchen sink.
• Wash fruits and vegetables (even if you plan to peel them), but do not wash meat, poultry or eggs!
• Use separate cutting boards for raw produce and for raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.
• Use a food thermometer to be sure food is cooked to its proper temperature.
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers and use within 3-4 days.
• Know when to throw food out.

CDC estimates Listeria is the third leading cause of death from food poisoning in the United States. An estimated 1,600 people get sick from Listeria each year, and about 260 die. Older adults are at particular risk – more than half of all Listeria infections occur in people 65 and older.

As people age, their immune system and organs aren’t as able to recognize and rid the body of harmful germs, including ones that cause food poisoning. Many older adults also live with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cancer, and are taking medicine that can weaken the immune system. Also, stomach acid decreases as people get older, and stomach acid plays an important role in killing germs and reducing the risk of illness.

Did You Know?

Adults who are 65 years and older are 4 times more likely than other people in the United States to get Listeria infections.

Food Safety Tips

• Wash your hands the right way – for 20 seconds with soap and running water.
• Use a thermometer to make sure your refrigerator is 40°F or lower and your freezer is 0°F or lower.
• Keep raw meat away from fresh produce and other ready-to-eat food, to avoid contamination.
• Thaw or marinate foods in the refrigerator, never on the counter or in the kitchen sink.
• Wash fruits and vegetables (even if you plan to peel them), but do not wash meat, poultry or eggs!
• Use separate cutting boards for raw produce and for raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.
• Use a food thermometer to be sure food is cooked to its proper temperature.
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers and use within 3-4 days.
• Know when to throw food out.

CDC estimates that Listeria infection is the third leading cause of death from food poisoning in the United States. About 1,600 people get sick from Listeria each year, and about 260 die.

People with weakened immune systems due to underlying medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, liver or kidney disease, alcoholism, and HIV or AIDS, are more likely to get a Listeria infection. Treatments that make it more difficult for the body to fight off illness, such as steroids and chemotherapy, also can increase the chance of Listeria infection.

Did You Know?

• Certain medical conditions and treatments can weaken your immune system and make you more likely to get sick from contaminated food.

• People with cancer are 10 times more likely than other people to get Listeria infection.

• People on dialysis are 50 times more likely than other people to get Listeria infection.

Food Safety Tips

• Wash your hands the right way – for 20 seconds with soap and running water.
• Use a thermometer to make sure your refrigerator is 40°F or lower and your freezer is 0°F or lower.
• Keep raw meat away from fresh produce and other ready-to-eat food, to avoid contamination.
• Thaw or marinate foods in the refrigerator, never on the counter or in the kitchen sink.
• Wash fruits and vegetables (even if you plan to peel them), but do not wash meat, poultry or eggs!
• Use separate cutting boards for raw produce and for raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.
• Use a food thermometer to be sure food is cooked to its proper temperature.
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers and use within 3-4 days.
• Know when to throw food out.

Signs and symptoms of Listeria infection vary depending on the person infected and the part of the body affected.

The bacteria are most likely to sicken people who are pregnant and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems. Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.

Invasive illness

Invasive means bacteria have spread beyond the intestines (gut). Invasive listeriosis happens when Listeria have spread beyond the intestines.

Symptoms of invasive illness usually start within 2 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria.

Symptoms of invasive illness

People who are pregnant

Symptoms typically include

• Fever
• Flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue

People who are not pregnant

Symptoms typically include

• Fever
• Flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue
• Headache

• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Loss of balance
• Seizures

Severity of invasive illness

People who are pregnant

• Symptoms in pregnant people are usually mild. Some pregnant people never have symptoms.
• However, infection during pregnancy usually leads to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.

People who are not pregnant

• Symptoms in non-pregnant people can be severe.
• Almost 1 in 20 non-pregnant people with invasive listeriosis die.

Intestinal illness

Listeria can also cause an intestinal illness. This kind of illness is rarely diagnosed because laboratories do not regularly test patient stool (poop) samples for Listeria.

Symptoms of intestinal illness usually start within 24 hours after eating food contaminated with Listeria and usually last 1–3 days.

Symptoms of intestinal illness

Symptoms typically include

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting

Severity of intestinal illness

• Symptoms are usually mild.
• However, some people with intestinal illness develop invasive illness.

Listeriosis is usually diagnosed when a bacterial culture (a type of laboratory test) grows Listeria from a body tissue or fluid, such as blood, spinal fluid, or the placenta.

Invasive illness: People with an invasive illness are treated with antibiotics.

Intestinal illness: Most people recover from intestinal illness without antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics are needed only for patients who are very ill or at risk of becoming very ill. People who have an intestinal illness should drink extra fluids while they have diarrhea.

Pregnant women are about 10 times more likely than the general population to get a Listeria infection.

Pregnant Hispanic women are even more likely than non-Hispanic pregnant women to get a Listeria infection. This is probably caused by eating traditional soft cheese, such as “queso fresco,” and other traditional foods made with milk that is unpasteurized. Brands of these traditional foods made with pasteurized milk are available in stores and online.

The Risk

Certain foods – including ready-to-eat refrigerated foods, unpasteurized (raw) milk, and foods made with unpasteurized milk – often may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes (LM), the third leading cause of death from food poisoning. These foodborne bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures and can cause an illness that in most healthy people is unpleasant but not serious. But in people who are at high risk, LM can cause an illness called listeriosis which can be severe and even lead to death. The people at high risk include pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, older adults, and other persons with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes or kidney disease, and transplant patients.

While a pregnant woman may have only a mild, flu-like illness, or may not feel sick at all, listeriosis can lead to miscarriage, death of the unborn baby, a low-birth weight infant, health problems for the newborn, or even infant death. That’s why reducing risks from Listeria is so important.

How to Reduce Your Risk from Listeria: 3 Easy Steps

There are three very simple things you can do to help prevent illness from Listeria:

1. Chill at the Right Temperature

The right temperatures slow the growth of Listeria. Put a refrigerator thermometer in the refrigerator and adjust the refrigerator temperature control, if necessary. Put a second thermometer in the freezer.

Your refrigerator should register at 40°F (4°C) or below and your freezer at 0°F (-18°C).

2. Use Ready-to-Eat Foods Quickly!

Use ready-to-eat, refrigerated foods by the Use By date on the package. The longer they’re stored in the refrigerator, the more chance Listeria has to grow.

3. Keep the Refrigerator Clean

Clean your refrigerator regularly.

Wipe up spills immediately. This is particularly important, so Listeria doesn’t have a place to grow and then spread to other foods.

Clean the inside walls and shelves with hot water and a mild liquid dishwashing detergent, rinse, then dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Temperature Check!

Use an appliance thermometer for your refrigerator and, if possible, one in your freezer:

• Put the thermometer in the middle of the refrigerator. After 5 to 8 hours, if the temperature is above 38° to 40°F (3° to 4°C), adjust the refrigerator temperature control to a lower setting. Check again after 5 to 8 hours.
• Put the thermometer between frozen food packages in the freezer. After 5 to 8 hours, if the temperature is above 0° to 2°F (-18° to -17°C), adjust the freezer temperature control to a lower setting. Check again after 5 to 8 hours.

To Eat or Not to Eat?

Choosing the right foods and preparing them safely helps reduce the risk illness from Listeria for at-risk people.

*Foods that can be safely stored at room temperature, or “on the shelf,” are called shelf stable.

Follow These Steps For Food Safety

Clean: Wash your hands before, during and after handling food. Wash utensils, cutting boards, and any surfaces that food touches after each use. Wash fruits and veggies—but not meat, poultry, or eggs.

Separate: Use separate cutting boards, plates, and utensils for raw (uncooked) produce and for raw (uncooked) meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. Keep meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from all other foods while shopping and in the refrigerator.

Cook: Only a food thermometer can make sure meat, poultry, fish, and casseroles are cooked to a safe internal temperature. For example, internal temperatures should be 145°F for whole meats (allow the meat to rest after cooking for 3 minutes) and fish, 160°F for ground meats, and 165°F for all poultry. Eggs should be cooked until the yolk is firm.

Chill: Use appliance thermometers to be sure your refrigerator is at or below 40ºF and your freezer is 0ºF or below. Between 40ºF and 140ºF is the Danger Zone, when bacteria can multiply rapidly. Generally, the more bacteria, the more likely someone will get sick. Most refrigerators have just a colder/ warmer adjustment, so the only way to know is to put a thermometer inside.

About Foodborne Illness: Know the Symptoms

Consuming dangerous foodborne bacteria will usually cause illness within 1 to 3 days of eating the contaminated food. However, sickness can also occur within 20 minutes or up to 6 weeks later. Although most people will recover from a foodborne illness within a short period of time, some can develop chronic, severe, or even life-threatening health problems. Foodborne illness can sometimes be confused with other illnesses that have similar symptoms. The symptoms of foodborne illness can include:

• Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain
• Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and body ache

Soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk (also called raw milk) are estimated to be 50 to 160 times more likely to cause Listeria infection than when they are made with pasteurized milk.

Although pasteurization of milk kills Listeria, products made from pasteurized milk can still become contaminated if they are produced in facilities with unsanitary conditions.

Recommendations for everyone:

• Make sure the label says, “Made with pasteurized milk.”
• Be aware that some soft cheeses made from pasteurized milk, such as queso fresco, have caused Listeria infections, most likely because they were contaminated during cheese-making.

Recommendations for people at higher risk, including pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immunity:

• Avoid eating soft cheese, such as queso fresco, queso blanco, panela (queso panela), brie, Camembert, blue-veined, or feta, unless it is labeled as made with pasteurized milk.

Sprouts need warm and humid conditions to sprout and grow. These conditions are also ideal for the growth of bacteria, including Listeria,Salmonella, and E. coli.

Recommendations for people at higher risk, including pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immunity:

• Do not eat raw or lightly cooked sprouts of any kind (including alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean sprouts).
• Cook sprouts thoroughly to reduce your risk for getting sick. Thorough cooking kills the harmful bacteria.
• When you’re eating out, ask that raw sprouts not be added to your food. If you buy a ready-made sandwich, salad, or Asian food, check to make sure it doesn’t contain raw sprouts.

NOTE: Rinsing sprouts will not remove bacteria. Home-grown sprouts also can make you sick if you eat them raw or lightly cooked.

Recommendations for everyone:

• Eat cut melon right away or refrigerate it.
• Keep cut melon refrigerated at 41° F or colder and for no more than 7 days.
• Throw away cut melons left at room temperature for more than 4 hours.

Recommendations for everyone:

• Don’t let juice from hot dog and lunch meat packages get on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces. Wash hands after handling hot dogs, lunch meats, and deli meats.
• Safely store products in the refrigerator:
  • Hot dogs: Store opened packages no longer than 1 week in the refrigerator and unopened packages no longer than 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
  • Lunch and deli meat: Store factory-sealed, unopened packages no longer than 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Store opened packages and meat sliced at a local deli no longer than 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Recommendations for people at higher risk, including pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immunity:

• Avoid eating hot dogs, lunch meats, cold cuts, other deli meats (such as bologna), or fermented or dry sausages unless they are heated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot just before serving.
• Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads from a deli or meat counter or from the refrigerated section of a store. Meat spreads and pâté that do not need refrigeration before opening, such as products in cans, jars, or sealed pouches, are a safer choice. Refrigerate these foods after opening.

A food is called shelf-stable if it can be safely stored at room temperature or “on the shelf.”

Eating canned and shelf-stable tuna, salmon, and other fish products is not considered to increase your chance of getting sick from Listeria.

It’s important to know that not all canned foods are shelf-stable. Some canned foods are labeled “Keep Refrigerated.” Examples of such items include cold smoked fish, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, and mackerel. Cold smoked fish items are often labeled as “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” “smoked,” or “jerky” and typically found at seafood or deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens.

Recommendations for people at higher risk, including pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immunity:

• Do not eat cold smoked fish unless it is canned or shelf-stable or it is in a cooked dish, such as a casserole.

Raw milk is milk from any animal that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria. Raw milk (also called unpasteurized milk) can carry harmful bacteria, including Listeria, and other germs that can make you very sick or kill you. Although it is possible to get foodborne illness from many kinds of foods, raw milk is one of the riskiest of all.

Raw milk made into other products, such as soft cheese, ice cream, and yogurt, can also cause dangerous infections. When consuming these products, make sure they are made from pasteurized milk.

Recommendations for everyone, especially people at higher risk, including infants and young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immunity:

• Only consume pasteurized milk and milk products, including soft cheese, ice cream, and yogurt. Look for the word “pasteurized” on the label. If in doubt, don’t buy it!
• Keep milk and milk products refrigerated at 40°F or colder.

If you eat food contaminated with bacteria called Listeria, you could get so sick that you have to be hospitalized. And for certain vulnerable people, the illness could be fatal.

Contaminated food can bring Listeria into the home. Unlike most bacteria, Listeria germs can grow and spread in the refrigerator. So if you unknowingly refrigerate Listeria-contaminated food, the germs not only multiply at the cool temperature, they could contaminate your refrigerator and spread to other foods there, increasing the likelihood that you and your family will become sick.

Those most at risk for listeriosis—the illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes—include pregnant women, older adults and people with compromised immune systems and certain chronic medical conditions (such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, and transplant patients). In pregnant women, listeriosis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and serious illness or death in newborn babies.

What foods could be contaminated?

Listeria has been linked to a variety of ready-to-eat foods, including deli meats, hot dogs, smoked seafood and store-prepared deli-salads. A draft study released May 10, 2013 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) evaluates the risk of listeriosis associated with foods prepared in retail delis. There are many steps that deli operators and processing establishments that supply food to delis can follow to reduce the risk of listeriosis.

FDA and FSIS recommend that consumers at risk for developing listeriosis—including older adults, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems—reheat hot dogs and lunch meats until steaming hot.

At-risk consumers are also advised to avoid unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses (such as feta, brie, camembert, blue-veined cheeses, "queso blanco," "queso fresco" or Panela), unless they are made with pasteurized milk.

And Listeria can sometimes be found in other foods. In 2011, a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis tied to contaminated cantaloupes caused illnesses and deaths.

Donald Zink, Ph.D, senior science advisor at FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, says FDA is aware of cases of foodborne illness caused by bacteria that can live in the kitchen and spread to foods that had not been contaminated.

Consumers are advised to wash all fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking, even if you plan to peel the produce first. Scrub firm produce such as melons and cucumbers with a clean produce brush.

To further protect yourself and your family from Listeria, follow these steps:

Keep Refrigerated Foods Cold

Chilling food properly is an important way of reducing risk of Listeria infection. Although Listeria can grow at refrigeration temperatures, it grows more slowly at refrigerator temperatures of 40 degrees F or less.

• Keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees F or lower and the freezer at 0 degrees F or lower.
• Wrap or cover foods with a sheet of plastic wrap or foil or put foods in plastic bags or clean covered containers before you place them in the refrigerator. Make certain foods do not leak juices onto other foods.
• Place an appliance thermometer, such as a refrigerator thermometer, in the refrigerator, and check the temperature periodically. Adjust the refrigerator temperature control, if necessary, to keep foods as cold as possible without causing them to freeze. Place a second thermometer in the freezer to check the temperature there.
• Use precooked and ready-to-eat foods as soon as you can. The longer they are stored in the refrigerator, the more chance Listeria has to grow.

"If you have leftovers in your refrigerator, it’s best to throw them out after three days, just to be sure,” says Zink. “It's better to be safe than sorry."

Clean Refrigerator Regularly

Listeria can contaminate other food through spills in the refrigerator.

• Clean up all spills in your refrigerator right away—especially juices from hot dog and lunch meat packages, raw meat, and raw poultry. Consider using paper towels to avoid transferring germs from a cloth towel.
• Clean the inside walls and shelves of your refrigerator with warm water and liquid soap, then rinse. As an added measure of caution, you can sanitize your refrigerator monthly using the same procedures described below for kitchen surfaces.

Clean Hands and Kitchen Surfaces Often

Listeria can spread from one surface to another.

• Thoroughly wash food preparation surfaces with warm, soapy water. As an added precaution you should sanitize clean surfaces by using any of the kitchen surface sanitizer products available from grocery stores, being careful to follow label directions.

You can make your own sanitizer by combining 1 teaspoon of unscented bleach to one 1 quart of water, flooding the surface and letting it stand for 10 minutes. Then rinse with clean water. Let surfaces air dry or pat them dry with fresh paper towels. Bleach solutions get less effective with time, so discard unused portions daily.

• A cutting board should be washed with warm, soapy water after each use. Nonporous acrylic, plastic, or glass boards can be washed in a dishwasher.
• Dish cloths, towels and cloth grocery bags should be washed often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.
• It’s also important, to wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.