Listeria
Listeria monocytogenes is a microorganism that may cause an infection called listeriosis if you eat contaminated food. Listeria bacteria are common in the environment and may contaminate many different types of foods from the farm right through food processing to the retail market.
While this organism has little impact on healthy people, more severe illness may occur in immuno-compromised individuals, pregnant women and their babies, young children, cancer patients, AIDS patients, and the elderly. In these people, illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes can be severe.
Listeria is not a new microorganism, however changes in the way we store, handle and consume food means that it is now more widely transmitted by food. Recent research indicates that the highest risk foods are ready-to-eat foods and those stored at refrigeration temperature for a long period, thereby enabling Listeria to grow. While preventing contamination is important in all areas of food production, special precautions must be taken after foods have been processed, during packaging and at all stages where food is handled and stored before consumption.
Listeria and food: advice for people at risk (brochure) [ pdf 85 kb] 
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Fact sheet: Listeria and food - the risk to people with weakened immune systems (10 November 2010)
Listeria and food: commonly asked questions
This web page provides more detailed information about Listeria. [ more..]
Listeria recall guidelines for packaged ready-to-eat food
These recall guidelines for packaged ready-to-eat foods found to contain L. monocytogeneshave been developed in response to the need for a national approach for determining when ready-to-eat packaged products available for sale at retail level have an unacceptable level of contamination and should be recalled. [ html | pdf format 67kb]
FSANZ work on Listeria
FSANZ is regularly involved in work on preventing and managing Listeria in food. More information on this work can be found here.