Listeria monocytogenes in US Food Imports — FDA Import Refusals
Listeria monocytogenes appeared in 477 FDA import refusals between 2020 and 2026 — 2.5% of the 19,236 refusals that identify a hazard. The origins cited most often are China, South Korea, Malaysia. The most-affected product category is Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Volume in 2025 was up 129% on 2024.
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Listeria monocytogenes refusals by year
| Year | Refusals | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 36 | — | |
| 2021 | 51 | +41.7% | |
| 2022 | 79 | +54.9% | |
| 2023 | 50 | -36.7% | |
| 2024 | 56 | +12.0% | |
| 2025 | 128 | +128.6% | |
| 2026 | 77 | — | YTD |
| Total | 477 |
Origins most cited for Listeria monocytogenes
| # | Origin country | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 138 |
| 2 | South Korea | 88 |
| 3 | Malaysia | 51 |
| 4 | Greece | 36 |
| 5 | France | 27 |
| 6 | Netherlands | 21 |
| 7 | Poland | 18 |
| 8 | Japan | 17 |
| 9 | Taiwan | 17 |
| 10 | Mexico | 12 |
| 11 | Chile | 11 |
| 12 | Italy | 8 |
| 13 | Vietnam | 6 |
| 14 | Canada | 5 |
| 15 | Ecuador | 4 |
| 16 | Ireland | 4 |
| 17 | Portugal | 4 |
| 18 | Indonesia | 2 |
| 19 | Russia | 2 |
| 20 | Germany | 1 |
| 21 | India | 1 |
| 22 | Lithuania | 1 |
| 23 | Norway | 1 |
| 24 | Switzerland | 1 |
| 25 | United States | 1 |
Product categories where Listeria monocytogenes appears
| # | Product category | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 242 |
| 2 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 170 |
| 3 | Cheese and Cheese Products | 51 |
| 4 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 7 |
| 5 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 3 |
| 6 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 2 |
| 7 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 1 |
| 8 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 1 |
FDA charge codes in Listeria monocytogenes
| Code | What it means | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
LISTERIA | Listeria monocytogenes | 477 |
Recent Listeria monocytogenes refusals
- 235-1766384-7 FISH, N.E.C.From Japan, Fishery/Seafood Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- AWJ-0333169-6 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- ARE-1091358-5 CHEESE, SEMISOFTFrom Portugal, Cheese and Cheese Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- EKH-1016401-3 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- AWJ-0327676-8 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- 1FX-6593439-0 CHEESE, GOAT, N.E.C.From France, Cheese and Cheese Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- 04Y-1186935-5 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- DU7-0144250-9 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- 04Y-1186911-6 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- 04Y-1186954-6 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- EKH-1027729-4 TSO GU (DRIED CHINESE GRASS MUSHROOMS, HAVE STRONGER FRAGRANCE THAN CHINESE DRIED MUSHROOMS)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- 04Y-1186900-9 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- DU7-0144527-0 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- DU7-0144475-2 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- DU7-0143831-7 ENOKITAKEFrom China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- DU7-0143256-7 FUNGUS, WHITE, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- E84-0126812-1 FRUITS USED AS VEGETABLES, N.E.C.From Poland, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- HE8-0213283-8 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From South Korea, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- HE8-0213214-3 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From South Korea, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- HE8-0213327-3 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From South Korea, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. poisonous or deleterious substanceListeria monocytogenes
About Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria monocytogenes is charged under Section 402(a)(1) as a poisonous and deleterious substance, on the same threshold-free basis as Salmonella. It is a particular concern in ready-to-eat food because, unlike most foodborne pathogens, it can grow at refrigeration temperatures, so contamination introduced during processing can increase in transit rather than decline. Refusals for Listeria concentrate in soft and semi-soft cheeses, other refrigerated dairy, smoked or cured seafood, and cooked or cured meat eaten without further cooking.
Which FDA import refusals does this page count?
Every entry FDA refused that cites this hazard among its charge codes. A single entry can carry more than one charge, so an entry refused for both a pathogen and a labelling defect is counted on both the relevant hazard page and, separately, in the hazard/paperwork split shown on the leaderboard.
What happens when this hazard is found in a shipment?
The entry is refused admission into US commerce. The importer must recondition the shipment (where that is possible), export it out of the United States, or have it destroyed under FDA supervision. Repeated findings against one shipper or product can lead FDA to place them on an Import Alert, which subjects future shipments to detention without physical examination.
Where does this data come from?
The public FDA Import Refusal Report, refetched weekly. Counts are per entry (consignment), so one entry listing several charge codes for the same hazard is counted once.