This guidance document has been prepared by the European Union Reference Laboratory for Listeria monocytogenes (EURL Lm), in collaboration with a working group of six representatives of National Reference Laboratories for Listeria monocytogenes (NRLs Lm). This is the third version of the EURL Lm guidance document to evaluate the competence of laboratories implementing challenge tests and durability studies related to Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods. It replaces version 2 of May 2018. The purpose of this revision is to ensure consistency with version 4 of the EURL Lm Technical guidance document on challenge tests and durability studies for assessing shelf-life studies of ready-to-eat foods related to Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), as well as experiences gained from the evaluation of shelf-life studies. This document was endorsed by the section Biological Safety of the Food Chain of the EC Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF Committee) at its meeting of 10 February 2023.

Funding by: EUROPEAN HEALTH AND DIGITAL EXECUTIVE AGENCY (HADEA) - HaDEA.A – Health and Food Directorate A2.002 - EU4Health/SMP Food Unit Project: [EURLs-EURCs/2021-2022/SI2.870826] Document dispatch by DG SANTE G4 via https://food.ec.europa.eu/document/download/f7592428-9712-40f8-963a-f51a8a39823c_en?filename=biosafety_fh_mc_guidance-comp-labs.pdf