Food Standards Scotland - Listeria Risk Ranking

Tender description

An evidence review to identify the foods considered high-risk for L. monocytogenes, ranking them based on their level of risk. This will ensure food safety advice and recommendations are based on up-to-date evidence for these vulnerable consumers. Lot 1: Food Standards Scotland has a requirement to place a contract with an external service provider for the provision of Listeria Risk Ranking. Food safety advice is relevant for all consumers, however there are some groups within society who are at greater risk of severe illness from food poisoning caused by Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes). These consumers are advised to exert caution with a wide range of foods due to the potential risk of L. monocytogenes, which can be restricting for their diet. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) require a Contractor to carry out an evidence review to identify the foods considered high-risk for L. monocytogenes, based on the latest evidence and surveillance data available from worldwide sources. The Contractor would then be required to develop a prioritised list of these foods, ranking them based on their risk to vulnerable consumers. This will ensure food safety advice and recommendations are based on up-to-date evidence for these vulnerable consumers. The Contractor must have an ability to review incidents, survey and outbreak data in the literature to analyse available evidence on the risk of L. monocytogenes in food products. Food Standards Scotland can provide food sampling data from Scotland from 2015 - 2025, but it is expected that the Contractor will source alternative published international datasets to supplement this evidence review.