Food Safety and
Inspection Service

1400 Independence
Avenue, SW.
Washington, D.C.
20250

USDA
—_

United States Department of Agriculture

To: Retail Establishments JAN 19 2016

FROM: Alfred V. Almanza, Deputy Under Secretary / Lorene

SUBJECT: Retail Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) Pilot Project

In January 2016, FSIS will launch a nationwide pilot project to assess whether retailers
are using the recommendations in the FSIS “Best Practices Guidance for Controlling
Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in Retail Delicatessens” (FSIS Retail Lm Guideline).

As part of the pilot project, during their regular surveillance activities, FSIS Compliance
Investigators will complete a questionnaire based on the FSIS Retail Lm Guideline to
determine whether retailers are following specific recommendations from the
guidance. The questionnaire will be used to compare the practices observed in retail
delis to the FSIS Retail Lm Guideline in the following topics: product handling, cleaning
and sanitizing, facility and equipment controls, and employee practices. The questions
in the questionnaire mirror the self-assessment tool in the FSIS Retail £m Guidance that
deli operators can use to determine which aspects of a deli’s practices are in alignment
with good manufacturing practices to control Lm, and which are not.

FSIS will track the questionnaire responses over time to determine whether there is an
increase in retailers adopting the recommendations in the guideline. Therefore, FSIS
may survey the same retailer more than once. The information from the pilot project
will be analyzed quarterly, and the results will be posted on the FSIS website in a
Constituent Update. The FSIS Retail Lm Guideline is available at:

http://www. fsis.usda.gov/wps/wem/connect/29d51258-0651-469b-99b8-
e986baee8a54/Controlling-LM-Delicatessens.pdf?MOD=AJPERES. Retailers should be
aware that the recommendations in the guideline, especially those based on the 2013
Food Code may be requirements in State, local, or tribal regulations.

FSIS will not perform sampling at retail as part of this pilot project. FSIS will continue to
follow enforcement procedures described in FSIS Directive 8010.1, Methodology for
Conducting In-Commerce Surveillance Activities, at retail. If the FSIS Compliance
Investigator observes product that is adulterated, the Investigator will detain the
product and follow the methodology in FSIS Directive 8410.1, Detention and Seizure,
and FSIS Directive 8010.2, Investigative Methodology.

FSIS Compliance Investigators will provide a tri-fold brochure, “Guidance for Controlling
Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in Retail Delicatessens,” to the deli operator. Brochures
are available in English and Spanish. Additional brochures may be obtained from the
FSIS Compliance Investigator or downloaded from the FSIS website

(http://www. fsis. usda.gov/wps/wem/connect/706237dc-da95-4ad1-849a-

3570ed163ca4/LM-at-Retail-Brochure.pdf? MOD=AIPERES ). After the FSIS Compliance

Investigators complete the questionnaires, they will point out ways in which deli

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operators can do a better job of controlling Lm the deli. However, the Compliance Investigators
will not ask the retailer to complete the questionnaire.

Deli operators may refer questions regarding the Lm pilot project to the Risk, Innovations, and
Management Staff through askESIS or by telephone at 1-800-233-3935. When submitting a
question, use the ‘Submit a Question’ tab. In the subject field enter “Retail Lm.”

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