Consumers require from food manufacturers that food products are ready-to-eat dishes, easy to prepare, and showing good quality and proper nutritional value. Throughout the world, more and more products appear in the form of ready-to-eat dishes. Under the conditions of absolutely sterile manufacturing processes, the key risk may be attributed to the secondary, post production food crosscontamination caused by the manufacturing or trading personnel, or by polluted storage areas. Pathogen microflora, resistant to inconvenient environmental factors, can be introduced into food. Listeria monocytogenes is one of such pathogens. In this paper, there were discussed some natural and chemical additives, as well as some treatment technologies (smoking process) that were most frequently used during the production of meat and its products. The purpose of these additives and treatment technologies was to prevent the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, as well to maintain the adequate microbial quality of meat products being stored. The natural and effectively selected food components containing inhibitors of microbial origin are effective inhibitors of Listeria. Additionally, the majority of preservatives permitted for application in the meat industry, and comprising the effect of synergy, is able to protect food from L. monocytogenes.