Key points
- Listeria are bacteria (germs) that can be in some food.
- People who eat food contaminated with Listeria can get a harmful infection.
- Some foods are more likely than others to be contaminated with Listeria.
- You can take steps to prevent Listeria infection from these foods.
- Taking these steps is especially important if you or someone you cook for is at increased risk for Listeria infection.
Who is at risk
Listeria infection is rare. But it can be especially harmful for some people, including
- People who are pregnant
- Newborns
- People who are 65 years or older
- People who have a weakened immune system
Keep Reading:
People at Increased Risk for Listeria Infection
Choose safer foods
If you are in any of these groups, choose safer foods to protect your health or your pregnancy.
Cheeses
Do not eat
- Unpasteurized soft cheeses, such as queso fresco and brie
- Unheated cheeses sliced at a deli
Choose these instead
- Hard cheeses, such as cheddar and parmesan
- Cottage cheese, cream cheese, string cheese, feta, and mozzarella
- Pasteurized soft cheeses heated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot
- Deli-sliced cheeses heated to 165°F or until steaming hot
Meats
Do not eat
- Unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages
Choose these instead
- Deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages reheated to 165°F or until steaming hot
Deli salads
Do not eat
- Premade deli salads, such as coleslaw and potato, tuna, or chicken salad
Choose these instead
- Homemade deli salads
Smoked meats and fish
Do not eat
- Refrigerated pâté or meat spreads
- Refrigerated smoked fish
Choose these instead
- Pâté or meat spreads in sealed, airtight containers that don't need to be kept refrigerated before opening
- Smoked fish in sealed, airtight packages or containers that don't need to be kept refrigerated before opening
- Smoked fish cooked in a casserole or other cooked dishes
Fruits and vegetables
Do not eat
- Raw or lightly cooked sprouts
- Cut melon left out for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s exposed to temperatures hotter than 90°F, such as a picnic or hot car)
- Cut melon in refrigerator for more than a week
Choose these instead
- Sprouts cooked until steaming hot
- Melon that has just been cut
Dairy
Do not eat
- Raw (unpasteurized) milk, yogurt, and ice cream
Choose these instead
- Pasteurized milk, yogurt, and ice cream
Keep in mind
CDC is investigating outbreaks linked to Listeria in enoki mushrooms. If you are at increased risk for infection, do not eat raw mushrooms. When at home and when dining out, eat mushrooms only if they have been cooked thoroughly to reduce risk of illness.
How Listeria spread
Some foods are more likely to be contaminated with Listeria.
Learn about those foods and some recent outbreaks linked to them.
Discover why dairy products carry a higher risk of Listeria contamination.
Learn about the risk of Listeria in deli products.
Choose shelf-stable pâte, meat spreads, and smoked fish to stay safe from Listeria.
Sprouts and melons can harbor Listeria.
Resources
Fact sheets
These fact sheets from CDC are a guide to safer food choices. Print them to post on your refrigerator or to share with family and friends.
Find out how to protect your pregnancy from Listeria, a harmful germ found in some foods.
Find out how to protect yourself from Listeria, a harmful germ found in some foods.
Find out how to protect yourself from Listeria, a harmful germ found in some foods.
Food safety booklets
These booklets from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are a thorough guide to food safety. You can download them in English or Spanish from FDA's website.
- Food Safety Booklet for Pregnant Women, Their Unborn Babies, and Children Under Five
- Food Safety for Older Adults and People with Cancer, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Organ Transplants, and Autoimmune Diseases