Abstract
<jats:p>BACKGROUND._Listeria monocytogenes_ (Lm) is a major hazard in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry, but the relationship between food-contact-surface (FCS) and product-test positivity has not been quantified nationally. METHODS. We analyzed USDA-FSIS Laboratory Sampling Data for FY2015-2025. Because no event identifier was available, coordinated risk-based Lm events were defined by establishment-date. We assessed concurrent FCS–product positivity, establishment-level cumulative product-positive rates, a four-level FCS/non-food-contact-surface (NFCS) comparison, and exploratory temporally separated associations. RESULTS. Among 2,945 coordinated events, product positivity was 20.3% at FCS-positive events versus 0.21% at FCS-negative events (13/64 vs. 6/2,881), an absolute risk difference of 20.1 percentage points (cluster-bootstrap 95% CI: 10.6-30.4). Ever-FCS-positive establishments had higher product-positive rates (rate ratio 4.6, 95% CI: 3.2-6.8), remaining elevated after removal of same-event co-detection (3.2, 95% CI: 2.0-5.0). FCS-positive-only establishments had the highest adjusted product-positive rate, although the FCS/NFCS relationship was non-additive and sensitive to testing structure. Temporally separated estimates were directionally positive but based on only four to five exposed positives. CONCLUSIONS. FCS positivity was strongly associated with concurrent product positivity and higher cumulative product-positive rates. Findings are associational, informative sampling cannot be excluded, and prospective predictive utility could not be established.</jats:p>