Ready-to-Eat Seafood for Listeria monocytogenes

Why FDA issued it

Note: The revision of this Import Alert (IA) dated 08/7/2023 updates the guidance section including agency contacts and charge code language. Changes to the import alert are bracketed by asterisks (***). L. monocytogenes can survive and grow in low-pH, high-salt, and low-temperatures making it a hazard for food processing facilities and especially ready-to-eat (RTE) seafood. L. monocytogenes can form biofilms and persist in food processing environments for many years. It is usually found in moist environments which commonly occur in areas where raw fish are processed. It can be introduced into a food processing facility from raw materials, humans, and equipment. It is essential for seafood processors to implement strict sanitation controls to prevent food from contamination. Although L. monocytogenes has been isolated from a variety of seafood products, outbreaks have been associated wit

Quoted from the “Reason for Alert” section of the FDA page for 16-39, mirrored 30 August 2026. The quotation is truncated at the length this copy carries.