NEWMARKET, Ontario — Oct 27, 2026 — The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will expand Listeria monitoring at ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry plants nationwide starting January 2027. SK8 Biotechnologies Inc. today said its bacteriophage processing aid, VAM-L, gives processors a proven way to reduce Listeria, including L. monocytogenes on product as federal scrutiny tightens.
Under its FY2027 sampling plan, FSIS will add two food-contact and two non-food-contact surface swabs to each post-lethality exposed RTE product sample it collects, testing for L. monocytogenes and other Listeria species. The rollout starts in January and covers all nine districts by March. FSIS has also prioritized in-depth food safety assessments at plants that rely on sanitation alone.
FSIS, Listeria reduction on the product
VAM-L is a cocktail of several lytic phages, active against Listeria monocytogenes and non monocytogenes strains. FSIS reviewed SK8 Biotech’s GRAS notice and has no objection to VAM-L as a processing aid on RTE red meat and poultry, raw intact red meat and poultry, and shell eggs, with no labeling statement required, GRN 1304.
In challenge studies conducted by SK8 Biotech, a single spray application of VAM-L reduced Listeria by over 99.9% on whole eggs, raw beef, romaine lettuce, smoked salmon, whole and cooked ham. The VAM-L treatment did not have any impact on the organoleptic properties of the tested food matrices.
Under the FSIS Listeria Rule (9 CFR 430), adding an antimicrobial agent moves a plant from Alternative 3, sanitation only, toward Alternative 1 or 2, easing testing requirements, scrutiny and oversight. VAM-L anti-Listeria phages complements sanitation and environmental monitoring and has proven to penetrate biofilms. In a recent study, SK8 Biotech demonstrated reductions of Listeria biofilms of close to 100% after spraying VAM-L on food-contact surfaces.
"From January, FSIS will judge Listeria control by what it finds on the line, not only on the product," said Tyler Stephens, PhD, Chief Science Officer at SK8 Biotechnologies. "VAM-L gives processors a second barrier and a measurable reduction on the product itself."
Availability, Anti-Listeria Bacteriophage
VAM-L is available to U.S. and Canadian processors. SK8 Biotech supports in-plant validation trials and Listeria Rule reassessment. Contact info@sk8biotech.com or visit sk8biotech.com.
About SK8 Biotechnologies Inc.
SK8 Biotechnologies develops bacteriophage-driven food safety solutions for the entire food supply chain, from farmers and processors to retailers. Its phage solutions are processing aids that specifically target and reduce Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli. SK8's collaborative approach is designed so that phage implementation strengthens existing food safety programs while supporting regulatory compliance, processing efficiency and environmental sustainability. The company is headquartered in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.