The aim of this priority action was to check products from direct marketing (including alpine pasture management) for contamination with pathogenic germs.

145 samples from all over Austria were examined.

• One sample was rejected due to contamination by Listeria monocytogenes.

Food distributed directly by small-scale producers is becoming increasingly popular with consumers, with Austrian households spending fifty percent more with farmers in 2016 than six years earlier (AMA Marketing 2018). However, dairy products and meat products are repeatedly contaminated with pathogenic germs that may be present in the ready-to-eat products as a result of improper processing and handling and may pose a health risk.