Listeria prevention in artisanal butcher shops
With the support of the relevant supervisory authorities, the German Butchers Association has produced a film that shows employees in the butcher's trade how to prevent listeria in butcher shops. Listeria are bacteria that, under certain conditions, can lead to health problems in humans, in some very rare cases even death. The pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes strain is particularly dangerous. Listeria occur almost everywhere in the environment, for example in agriculture, in the soil and in water, and can therefore be easily entered in any company that produces food.
The task of the newly created film of the DFV is to show the employees how bacteria of this type can be kept away from the butcher's trade and, in particular, from their products. This is done primarily through a comprehensive education with regard to a possible entry of Listeria in butcher shops and through measures that are suitable to combat Listeria that may have entered the company and to avoid contamination of products.
In principle, all entrepreneurs who produce food are obliged to ensure through adapted, documented and controlled hygiene and production measures that there is no risk to the health of their customers. However, the new film is less aimed at those responsible, but rather serves to sensitize the staff in the butcher shops to preventive measures and to show how important it is to consistently follow the company instructions.
For many years, the association has provided butchery companies with extensive material for establishing, documenting and monitoring hygiene measures. This also includes special leaflets on how to avoid listeria. In addition, companies that belong to a guild can obtain advice on this topic from the federal association and some regional associations.
