,The Israel National Food Service, Ministry of Health, has notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of a new draft regulation titled Public Health Protection (Food) Notice – Application of Changes to the Annex to the European Union Directives (Regulation 2073/2005 – Concerning Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuff), 5785-2025. This proposed measure seeks to update Israel’s microbiological criteria for foodstuffs in line with recent amendments to the European Union’s Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005, which governs microbiological food safety standards.
The amendment will apply to all food products except raw meat, raw milk, honey, and fresh eggs in shells, covering testing and analysis methods under ICS codes 67.040 and 67.050. Israel first adopted EU Regulation 2073/2005 through the Economic Plan Law (Legislative Amendments for Implementation of Economic Policy 2021–2022), later reaffirmed via Amendment No. 10 to the Protection of Public Health (Food) Law, 5776-2015, published on 4 August 2024. The adopted version corresponded to the EU text in force as of 8 March 2020.
The main update now proposed reflects the EU’s latest revision (Regulation (EU) 2024/2895). This introduces stricter microbiological safety criteria for ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, excluding those intended for infants or for special medical purposes. Specifically, the new rule requires that Listeria monocytogenes be “not detected in 25 grams” of RTE foods when the manufacturer cannot demonstrate that the bacterial count will remain below 100 colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g) throughout the product’s shelf life. This enhanced safety criterion aims to ensure stronger consumer protection against Listeria contamination in high-risk foods.
However, the proposed Israeli amendment retains certain national exclusions and modifications, as specified in columns A and C of Item 3 in Appendix II-A of the Food Law. As a result, while the new criteria will be referenced, Israel’s current exclusion—requiring “not detected in 25 grams” instead of “100 cfu/g” in certain product categories—will continue to apply, meaning the EU’s latest change will not have immediate practical impact in Israel’s regulatory framework.
The proposed amendment is scheduled to enter into force on 1 July 2026, allowing food business operators sufficient time to adjust their compliance systems. The measure reinforces Israel’s ongoing harmonization with EU food safety legislation, ensuring that national microbiological standards remain up to date and aligned with international best practices while maintaining specific domestic safety provisions.
Consumer News Region