Commission views on Listeria in fresh fish

09 March 2011

The European Commission's Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCOFCAH) has held an exchange of views on the application of a Listeria criterion to fresh fish. The Microbiological Criteria Regulation, Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, already lists criteria for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat fish preparations, and has no such criteria for fresh fish. In spite of this, certain Member States are continuing to apply a national Listeria criterion to fresh fish.

The Commission reiterated its key message that:
• Member States should refrain from national food safety criteria unless agreed on
after notification;
• If there is a need for additional food safety criteria, such criteria should be laid
down at EU level by amending the Microbiological Criteria Regulation; and
• Tools are available for exceptional situations/emergencies but should not be
used as national criteria.

A summary record of the 15 February SCOFCAH meeting is available here: http://ec.europa.eu/food/committees/regulatory/scfcah/biosafety/sum_15022011_en.pdf