The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) together with the competent authorities of various Spanish regional governments (autonomous communities) have created a working group to prepare a “Guidance Document for the verification of Listeria monocytogenes shelf-life studies for ready-to-eat foods”. 
The Guidance Document describes a procedure that can be used as a tool for the competent inspection authorities in order to verify the suitability of the Listeria monocytogenes shelf-life studies carried out by food business operators dedicated to the manufacturing, packaging and repackaging of ready-to-eat foods. The Document collects the existing information around the shelf-life studies and describes a procedure for the verification of said studies, including a checklist which enables the compliance with different requirements of the presented studies to be checked. 

The Scientific Committee concludes that the Guidance Document is adequate, at present, for the purpose established. This Document should be regularly updated according to the experience obtained from its application, progress in scientific knowledge, changes in the legislation and guidelines on this type of studies which may be developed at national or European Union level.

Source: AESAN