UK Listeria outbreak – cause for concern?
Health officials in the United Kingdom are investigating a potential outbreak of Listeria that has killed one person. Patients are aged 59 or older and are from the south of England or London. One person fell sick in November 2022, while the other two became ill in February 2023.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned people not to eat Baronet soft cheeses because they are contaminated with Listeria. In some cases, an “exceptionally high” level of the pathogen was found.
What is listeria
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium which can cause a type of food poisoning called listeriosis which can take up to 70 days for symptoms to appear. Normally, the symptoms are mild - a high temperature, chills, feeling sick - and go away on their own after a few days. Some cases however can cause seriously illness which can be fatal. Along with pregnant women, new-born babies and the elderly, they are most at risk of a more serious infection that can spread to the brain or bloodstream.
Listeria is most commonly found in ready to eat deli foods such as sliced cooked meats, pates, soft cheese, smoked seafood, raw salad sprouts and dairy foods. It can be present in raw milk and foods made from raw milk. It can also live in food processing plants and contaminate a variety of processed meats. Listeria is unlike many other germs because it can grow even in the cold temperature of the refrigerator.
The recent soft cheese outbreak is not the first where listeriosis has been in the news headlines in recent years.
Three people died and three were seriously ill in an outbreak of listeria linked to pre-packed sandwiches and salads from a hospital menu in 2019.
·In 2017 there were 33 deaths linked to listeriosis in England and Wales.
How to reduce the risk of listeria contamination
Wash hands before and after any food preparation using antibacterial handwash soap
Wash and sanitise knives, worktops and cutting boards after handling and preparing uncooked foods.
Do not drink raw (unpasteurised) milk, and do not eat foods that have unpasteurised milk in them.
Use the correct colour coded chopping board to avoid cross contamination
Wash raw vegetables and fruit before preparation
Keep ready to eat foods separate from raw/dirty foods. Store in separate fridge or store ready to eat foods above raw foods
Keep food under strict temperature control – less than 8°C but ideally below 5°C
Cook high risk foods to a minimum of 75°C.
Do not use food after its use-by date.