The application and efficacy of cleaning and disinfection methods are reviewed, together with the relevant European and French legislation. European Commission Hygiene Directive 93/43/EEC of 14 June 1993 proposes the adoption of hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) for the meat industry, and this includes cleaning and disinfection. It is necessary to organise a team for washing, cleaning, rinsing, disinfection and final rinsing; three different types of organisation are compared. Application of HACCP and its contribution to the shelf life of products and their contamination with Listeria monocytogenes is discussed in the light of practical experience with poultry meat and cured pork products. Various means of verifying the efficacy of cleaning and disinfection (turbidimetry, adenosine triphosphate assay and macroscopic observation) are compared with the techniques of conventional microbiology. The authors conclude that cleaning and disinfection are essential for application of HACCP to the meat industry.