Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 established, as a food safety criterion for tolerable levels of
Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods which do not support the growth of the pathogen or with
shelf life below 5 days, a maximum of 100 cfu g1
. Blue-veined cheeses are among these foods because
their rinds can be contaminated, and the pathogen can be transferred to the paste during slicing.