Challenge Test in RTE Food

 Webinar Overview 

Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2895, applicable from 1 July 2026, introduces changes to the requirements for Listeria monocytogenes control in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods. Food business operators must now demonstrate that L. monocytogenes will not exceed 100 cfu/g throughout the entire shelf life of their products.

Challenge testing is one of the tools that can help achieve this but it is not the only one. Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 provides a range of approaches that food producers can use to demonstrate compliance with food safety criteria.

ALS experts will provide a clear and practical overview of challenge testing and other compliance tools, combining regulatory insight with laboratory expertise and real-world examples. Participants will learn how to correctly classify their products (RTE vs non-RTE), how to set intermediate limits based on growth potential, and how to select the right approach to support their compliance strategy.