The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has confirmed that an adult has died with the rare bacterial infection listeriosis, after an “extensive” outbreak which has led to nine cases of listeriosis being identified so far.
The Health Service Executive’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) is investigating the death, the FSAI said.
It confirmed there had been a “voluntary precautionary recall” of 141 ready-made products sold in Tesco, SuperValu, Centra and Aldi, among other outlets “due to a link with the outbreak”.
The recalled products included lasagnes, chicken curries, bolognaises, pasta bakes, cottage pies and chow meins – and side dishes include ready-made mashed potatoes, carrots and peas, green cabbage and pilau rice are also affected.
READ a full list of the recalled products HERE:
The FSAI said listeriosis is an infection caused by the bacterium listeria monocytogenes, and is usually acquired by eating contaminated food. Listeria is killed by cooking food thoroughly.
The recalled products are produced by food manufacturer Ballymaguire Foods, which produces freshly-prepared meals for a variety of large retail chains, and include Tesco’s Meals Made Easy, Irish Classics and Finest products; The Happy Pear, Food to Go, Clean Cut, Fuel’d Foods and Kitchen products that are sold in SuperValu and Centra; and SuperValu’s Signature Taste, SuperValu and Freshly Prepared ranges contain affected products.
In addition, the Inspired Cuisine and Specially Selected range of Aldi also contain recalled products, as does the Centra and Freshly Prepared range for Centra.
The HPSC says that listeria infection occurs mainly through eating contaminated food. The incubation period (time between initial infection and first symptoms appearing) ranges between 3 and 70 days. The average incubation period is 3 weeks. If a woman eats contaminated food during pregnancy, the infection can be passed across the placenta to the baby.
“Listeria monocytogenes is widespread in the environment and can be found in soil and water. Vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer. Animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill, and meat or dairy products from these animals can be contaminated. Foods may also be contaminated after processing, e.g. cheese,” the surveillance body says.
“The foods most often associated with infection are ready-to-eat refrigerated and processed foods such as: pre-prepared cooked and chilled meals, soft cheeses, cold cuts of meat, pâtés and smoked fish. Increasingly, outbreaks of listeriosis associated with fresh produce (particularly fresh vegetables that undergo little or no heat treatment) are being reported.”
It advises that listeriosis can be treated with antibiotics, but adds “however even with treatment, infection can be severe and may result in death, especially in the elderly.”
In a statement, Ballymaguire Foods said it had initiated a “precautionary recall of all products” as part of a quality control check following the identification of listeria bacteria.
“Incidents of this nature are extremely rare for us. We are treating it with the utmost seriousness and are working closely with all parties to manage the situation swiftly and responsibly,” a company spokesman said.
“As a precautionary measure, and in line with our rigorous response protocols, we made the decision on Saturday to temporarily suspend all production at the affected facility,” he added, apologising sincerely “to our customers and consumers for the concern this may cause”.
The FSAI has requested that retailers remove the implicated products from sale, and display recall notices at the point of sale.