Book excerpt: Cases of listeriosis in food appear to be predominantly associated with ready-to-eat products. This publication contains a summary of the risk assessment, jointly undertaken by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, into the problems posed by the pathogen in ready-to-eat foods. It covers specific risk management questions posed by the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) and outlines issues to be considered when implementing control measures, including the establishment of microbiological criteria. The full technical report is available separately (ISBN 9251051275).