Listeria UK outbreak: What is Listeria? Is it still a threat in UK supermarkets?
LISTERIA bacteria has been identified in food products recently sold in the UK - but what is listeria? Are consumers still at risk and what products have been recalled?
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Major retailers Sainsbury’s, TESCO, ASDA and Morrisons confirmed they were pulling some products from their shelves after the deadly bug was detected in some items.
Listeria, also known as Listeria monocytogenes, is a life-threatening airborne bacteria spread through food or contact with farm animals.
The bacteria can cause the rare but deadly infection Listeriosis, most serious in pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and people with weak immune systems.
Most people will not experience symptoms if they ingest listeria but some people may experience sickness, a mild fever or diarrhoea.
The NHS advises people to seek emergency medical attention if they experience meningitis-like symptoms as severe listeriosis can bring on the disease.
What food products does Listeria grow in?
Listeria thrives at low temperatures but is killed by cooking heat and pasteurisation.
The most common at-risk products are unpasteurised milk or dairy products made from unpasteurised milk, soft cheeses and chilled “ready-to-eat” foods.
The NHS lists examples of these as pre-packed sandwiches, deli meats and pate.
Is listeria still a threat in UK supermarkets? What products have been recalled?
Ewing Seafoods has recalled its Organic Smoked Salmon due to Listeria monocytogenes being detected.
Affected products are the 100g and 200g packs with the batch code 11823.
The Food Standards Agency, which made the announcement, advised customers to return the salmon to the store of purchase for a full refund.
However, this is not the first example of recent listeria and other items have already been recalled after fears they also been contaminated.
They include Lidl Frozen Green Grocer’s Supersweet Corn, with best before dates until July 2020, and numerous packs of frozen vegetables from Tesco.
The Tesco products, all with a best before date of January 2020, are as follows:
Tesco 4 Steam Bags Carrot, Broccoli & Sweetcorn, 640g
Tesco 4 Steam Bags Peas, broccoli, spinach & sweetcorn,640g
Tesco 4 Growers Harvest Steam Bags Carrot, Peas & Sweetcorn, 640g
Tesco Mixed Vegetables with Red peppers, 1kg
Tesco Sweetcorn (Resealable), 1kg
Tesco Classic Mixed Vegetables (Resealable), 1kg
Tesco Growers Harvest Sweetcorn, 907g
Tesco Growers Harvest Mixed Vegetables, 1.16kg
Tesco Everyday Value Sweetcorn, 907g
Click here to see the full list of recalled products.
The listeria outbreak is believed to be linked to a Hungarian freezing factory and has so far left nine people dead across Europe.
People are also advised to “thoroughly cook non ready-to-eat frozen vegetables” such as corn.
The European Food Safety Authority says listeriosis has an incubation time of 70 days and might linger in products purchased before the recall.