September 23, 2020

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

Retail Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) Focus Group Findings

Background

 In 2019, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and Inspection 

Service (FSIS) conducted 13 focus groups on controlling Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) at retail.

The purpose of the focus groups was to assess the effectiveness of the recommendations in the 

FSIS Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in Retail 

Delicatessens (Retail Lm Guidelines). The focus groups were performed in response to 

recommendations from the National Advisory Committee for Meat and Poultry Inspection 

(NACMPI), and were announced in the Federal Register Notice (FRN) 2018-0040. Specifically, 

NACMPI recommended that FSIS coordinate outreach and enhance communication on “retail 

best practices,” ensure that its outreach is practical, easily understandable, and available to all 

audiences, and collaborate on updates to the Food Code. Based on the focus group findings, 

FSIS plans to revise its guidance/outreach materials and coordinate with its public health 

partners and engage with industry associations and others to review/distribute the information. 

FSIS does not plan to recommend Food Code changes at this time because a high percentage of 

retailers follow FSIS recommendations. 

Methods

 FSIS conducted the focus groups in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The focus group questions 

were developed based on NACMPI guidance and input from roundtable discussions. Questions 

were grouped in the following topic areas: distribution/availability of communication materials; 

Lm-specific communication content, and FSIS-specific Lm communication tools. The education 

tools included the Lm Brochure, the Retail Lm Guidelines, and the FSIS Self-Assessment Tool. 

Specific questions that were asked are included at the end of this summary. 

 Overall, there were 71 participants who took part in the 13 focus groups. The focus group

sessions included nine from state/local public health and agriculture departments, three from 

retailers, and one from academia (cooperative extension specialists). The focus groups were 

conducted by webinar over 90-minute sessions, and each session was recorded. All participants 

granted their consent to use their response information prior to participating and collection of this 

data was approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Results

 Responses to the focus group questions varied depending on the type of participant. Below is 

a summary of responses in each of the three main topic areas. 

Distribution/Availability of Materials. The state/local groups stated that they received 

information from federal agencies, state and local agencies, and federal and state food codes. The 

retail groups stated that they received information from federal, state/local agencies, industry 

associations public health/food associations, and academia. Both the state/local and the retail 

groups indicated that they preferred email distribution of food safety communication, followed 
September 23, 2020

by web update notifications due to convenience and reliability. The academic group stated that 

they work with both the small and large retailers, implying that they could be a conduit to those 

groups. 

Lm-Specific Communications Content. The state/local groups indicated that the Lm-related 

information they had received was consistent, but the style of messaging was slightly different 

depending on the specific agency’s emphasis. They also thought that there should be some 

information tailored to inspectors and other information tailored towards retailers. The retail 

groups indicated that FSIS’s information was clear for corporate participants, but not for 

frontline deli operators. Overall, retailers recommended that FSIS work through trade 

associations (e.g., the Food Marketing Institute (FMI)) to distribute outreach materials. The 

academic group recommended speaking with deli employees and independent grocers to first 

establish a “foundation of minimum sanitation requirements of the Food Code” and go from 

there to address Lm. 

FSIS Lm Communication Tools. Both the state/local and retail participants were not aware of 

the Lm Brochure. The state/local groups mentioned the need to have materials that are simple to 

understand that they can verbally communicate to retailers. The retail groups recommended that 

FSIS build relationships and communication channels in collaboration with state/local regulators. 

The academic group indicated that the Lm Brochure and FSIS Self-Assessment Tool could be 

improved by simplifying the format and adding more visuals. 

Limitations and Challenges

 There were several limitations and challenges with the focus group study results. The initial 

design of the study assumed a high participation rate representing a wide variety of individuals 

and geographic locations. However, lower-than-expected participation resulted in constraints on 

the study that did not allow for additional distinctions within retail and state/local subcategories. 

There were no participants from small or independent delis. Most participants were in a 

corporate position, as opposed to employees of retail delis.

Next Steps

 In response to the focus group findings, FSIS plans to update the Retail Lm Guideline to 

improve consistency, clarity, and overall content. FSIS also plans to update the Retail Guidance 

Webpage with additional outreach materials and is considering developing business cards with 

Lm-related information. In addition, FSIS plans to coordinate with CDC and FDA to harmonize 

its outreach materials with content that has been developed by other groups and agencies. FSIS 

plans to work with groups such as FMI, the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), 

and cooperative extension specialists to review and distribute its outreach materials. By making 

changes in outreach materials, FSIS can help ensure that its guidelines are more useful to 

retailers, and drive adoption of food safety practices to control Lm at retail and help protect 

public health. 
September 23, 2020

Focus Group Questions

Topic 1: Distribution/Availability of Communications

• FSIS asked about how and through what format participants receive food safety 

information, if they have used FSIS' help desks (Ask Karen, Ask FSIS, Small and Very 

Small Plant Help Desk), and how they would prefer federal organizations deliver 

communication to them.

• FSIS also asked state/local officials if additional training opportunities on Lm

would be of interest to them.

• These questions linked to the NACMPI recommendation that FSIS “ensure guidance on 

control of Lm at retail is...available to all audiences.”

Topic 2: Lm-Specific Communications Content

• FSIS asked participants about the type, clarity, quality, usefulness, and consistency of the 

food safety information they had received.

• FSIS also asked retailers whether they had implemented any of the Lm-specific 

recommendations into their operations, and if state/local officials use the 

information in their work with retailers.

• These questions linked to NACMPI's recommendation that FSIS “ensure guidance on 

control of Lm at retail is clear/understandable [and] practical...to all audiences.”

Topic 3: FSIS Lm Communications Tools

• FSIS asked whether participants had ever seen FSIS’ Lm-specific documents (the 

Brochure, Best Practice Guidelines, and Self-Assessment), and from what source.

• FSIS asked for their opinions and suggestions on the clarity and usefulness of 

these communication tools.

• These questions supported NACMPI’s recommendation that FSIS “have stakeholders 

evaluate FSIS’s Lm Compliance self-assessment tool (and related private sector or other 

tools) and make them available.”