For many Americans, deli meats are a lunchbox staple—pre-sliced, ready-to-eat, and convenient. They show up in school sandwiches, office meals, road trip snacks, and hospital trays. But behind that easy slice of turkey or ham can lurk a dangerous bacterium: Listeria monocytogenes. Unlike many foodborne pathogens, Listeria thrives in cold environments, making refrigerated meats particularly vulnerable. And when contaminated deli meats enter the food supply, the consequences can be devastating.

Why Deli Meats Pose a Unique Risk

What sets Listeria apart from other pathogens like E. coli or Salmonella is its ability to survive—and even grow—in refrigerated temperatures. This means that contamination can persist in cold storage and spread across processing surfaces, equipment, and final produ

See Full Page