Close Menu
  • Food Poisoning
    • Symptoms
    • Prevention
    • Treatment
    • Causes
  • Pathogens
    • Botulism
    • Campylobacter
    • E. coli
    • Cyclospora
    • Norovirus
    • Hepatitis A
    • Salmonella
    • Listeria
    • Shigella
  • Food Safety
    • How to wash your hands
    • Food Safty And The Holidays
  • Legal
    • Can I sue for Food Poisoning?
    • E. coli Lawyer
      • E. coli Lawsuit
    • Salmonella Lawyer
      • Salmonella Lawsuit
    • Botulism Lawyer
    • Cyclospora Lawyer
    • Shigella Lawyer
    • Hepatitis A Lawyer
  • Outbreaks and Recalls
  • Connect With A Lawyer
What's Hot

World Market Recalls Emek Spread Pistachio Cacao Cream with Kadayif Due to Salmonella Contamination

July 14, 2025

YoCrunch® Products Voluntarily Recalled by Danone U.S. Due to Potential Presence of Plastic Pieces in Dome Topper

July 14, 2025

The Inherent Dangers of Eating Smoked Fish: Does Smoked Salmon Pose a Risk of Listeria Poisoning?

July 14, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
  • About
  • Contact Us
Food Poisoning NewsFood Poisoning News
  • Home
  • Food Poisoning
    • What is Food Poisoning?
      • Symptoms
      • Causes
      • Prevention
      • Treatment
      • Statistics
    • Pathogens
      • Botulism
      • Campylobacter
      • E. coli
      • Hepatitis A
      • Shigella
      • Norovirus
      • Salmonella
      • Cyclospora
      • Listeria
  • Food Safety
    • How to wash your hands
    • Food Safty And The Holidays
  • Legal
    • Salmonella Lawyer
      • Salmonella Lawsuit
    • E. coli Lawyer
      • E. coli Lawsuit
    • Cyclospora Lawyer
    • Shigella Lawyer
    • Hepatitis A Lawyer
    • Botulism Lawyer
  • Outbreaks and Recalls
Food Poisoning NewsFood Poisoning News
Home»Helpful Articles»Deli Slicer Cleaning Habits Risk Listeria
Deli Slicer Cleaning Habits Risk Listeria
To date, there have been no confirmed reports of illnesses related to the deli sliced meat and cheese.
Helpful Articles

Deli Slicer Cleaning Habits Risk Listeria

Tony Coveny, Ph.DBy Tony Coveny, Ph.DApril 1, 2016Updated:January 20, 2022No Comments5 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email Reddit

Majority of Delis Skimp on Equipment Cleanliness

Listeria is the third-leading cause of deaths due to foodborne illness in the US each year. Sliced deli meats are a major source of Listeria infections, and meats sliced at retail delis cause more infections and have a much higher rate of contamination than prepackaged deli meats.

Meats sliced and packaged at retail delis are “the major source of listeriosis illnesses” because of the potential for cross-contamination, according to a CDC study released today. The study, conducted by the CDC Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net), examined how often deli slicers were cleaned at the FDA-specified minimum frequency of four hours.

The FDA sets its recommendations regarding minimum cleaning frequency to prevent the spread of foodborne bacteria. These pathogens include Listeria, salmonella, E. coli and other foodborne germs that have the potential to cause severe illness and in even death.

Despite the compelling reasons to follow FDA guidelines, over half of US delis fail to clean their slicing equipment at the FDA specified minimum frequency. Such insufficient slicer-cleaning frequency “could lead to cross-contamination of deli meats with Listeria and other pathogens.”

Factors Associated with Better Deli Cleaning Practices

 

Independent outlets proved less likely to follow the four-hour rule than larger deli chains, the study found, and busier delis serving more customers cleaned their equipment in accordance with FDA standards more frequently than delis with fewer customers. These characteristics tend to indicate deli size, and the data is “consistent with other findings suggesting that both chain and larger establishments’ food safety practices tend to be better than those of independent and smaller establishments.” The study notes that “chain and larger delis might have more resources, more or better trained staff, or more standardized cleaning procedures.”

Other factors significantly associated with both managers and workers fully cleaning their slicers every four hours include the following:

  • High Number of Slicers. The more pieces of equipment used by the deli, the more likely it is that they are cleaned on a regular basis.
  • More Workers per Shift. A higher average number of workers per shift, especially when combined with more shifts per day, increase the likelihood that the slicers are cleaned every four hours.
  • Food Safety Training. Workers and managers with food safety training are more apt to follow protocol. Required manager certification is associated with “more frequent reported slicer-cleaning. Hiring practices geared towards more experienced workers also increases compliance with FDA recommendations.
  • Written Slicer-Cleaning Policies. Written slicer policies were often associated with more frequent reported cleaning, and are strongly recommended by the EHS-Net group.
  • Equipment Quality. Slicers rated by workers as “easy to clean” were significantly associated with managers reporting the slicers were fully cleaned at least every four hours.

 

The EHS-Net authors recommend that states and localities require deli manager training and certification; adopt or follow the FDA Food Code; and consider encouraging or requiring delis to post written policies on meat slicer cleaning.

Some Argue Focus on Meats is Misguided

Bruce Farber, chief of infectious diseases at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, NY and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park complimented the study results but said he is far more concerned about fresh produce than meat in the context of foodborne illnesses.

Compared with processed meats, “fresh fruits and vegetables are probably more risky to the average person…and that probably also applies to Listeria,” Farber said.

Farber indicated that his concerns center around a lack of quality control in the irrigation process. The produce is “irrigated and fertilized with water often contaminated by animals or sewage and they are not washed as vigorously as they often should be before eating,” Farber explained, noting that some fresh produce is more difficult to clean than others.

 

Implications for Public Health Practice

The study makes a number of discrete recommendations to prevent cross-contamination of deli meats with Listeria and other pathogens resulting from insufficient slicer-cleaning frequency. To help ensure that the slicers are cleaned every four hours to prevent foodborne illness, “states and localities should require deli manager training and certification, as specified in the FDA Food Code.” In addition, there should be consideration given to either encouraging or requiring delis to have written slicer-cleaning policies.

The study notes that retail food industry leaders “can also implement these prevention efforts to reduce risk in their food establishments.” Making sure to purchase equipment that workers consider “easy to clean” will also facilitate efforts to increase cleaning frequency.

Prevention efforts should first focus on independent and smaller delis, the study recommends, citing the lower frequency of slicer cleaning among delis falling into those categories.

*EHS-Net is a collaborative program of the CDC, FDA, USDA, and six EHS-funded state and local health departments.

If you or a family member has been affected by food poisoning, contact the attorneys at Ron Simon & Associates for a free case evaluation.  Ron Simon & Associates is one of the nation’s leading law firms representing victims of foodborne illnesses.

You can fill out the online evaluation form or call us toll-free at 1-888-335-4901.  There is no cost to you.

Cross-Contamination FDA Food Handling Food Safety Listeria
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Tony Coveny, Ph.D

Tony Coveny, has been practicing infectious disease litigation exclusively for more than a decade, settling cases against major agro-industrial companies, international suppliers, and domestic distributors and manufacturers. Tony Coveny, alongside Ron Simon, has tried cases against restaurants, distributors, national manufacturers, and foreign corporations to recover damages against their clients. From the main office in Houston, which he manages, he speaks to potential and current clients on a daily basis.

Related Posts

Understanding the Connection Between Salmonella and Eggs

July 14, 2025

Why Salmonella Remains One of the Leading Causes of Food Poisoning

July 14, 2025

Keep It Fresh and Safe: The Best Storage Methods for Fruits and Vegetables

July 14, 2025

Measuring the Immeasurable: Quantifying Food Safety Culture in Modern Corporations

July 10, 2025
Add A Comment
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Attorney Advertisement
Ron Simon

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest food safety recall, outbreak, & investigation news.

Latest Posts

The Inherent Dangers of Eating Smoked Fish: Does Smoked Salmon Pose a Risk of Listeria Poisoning?

July 14, 2025

The Lingering Threat: Understanding the Long-Term Effects of Salmonella Infections

July 14, 2025

Understanding the Connection Between Salmonella and Eggs

July 14, 2025

Food Poisoning News is a website devoted to providing you with the most current information on food safety, dangerous pathogens, food poisoning outbreaks and outbreak prevention, and food poisoning litigation.

We're social. Connect with us:

Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Latest Posts

The Inherent Dangers of Eating Smoked Fish: Does Smoked Salmon Pose a Risk of Listeria Poisoning?

July 14, 2025

The Lingering Threat: Understanding the Long-Term Effects of Salmonella Infections

July 14, 2025

Understanding the Connection Between Salmonella and Eggs

July 14, 2025
Get Informed

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest food safety recall, outbreak, & investigation news.

Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
  • Home
© 2025 Food Poisoning News. Sponsored by Ron Simon & Associates a Houston, TX law firm. Powered by ArmaVita.
Our website and content are for informational purposes only. Food Poisoning News does not provide legal advice, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.