Food supplier brings in expert over listeria outbreak

There has been a "voluntary precautionary recall" of hundreds of ready-made products linked to a listeriosis outbreak in the Republic of Ireland

A producer of chilled ready meals has suspended all production and appointed a public health expert to lead its response following a listeriosis outbreak in the Republic of Ireland.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is investigating what it describes as an "extensive outbreak" of the bacterial infection, which has been linked to one death and identified nine confirmed cases.

Hundreds of ready-made products have been removed from supermarket shelves in what has been described as a "full precautionary recall".

In a statement issued on Thursday, Ballymaguire Foods said it was "deeply aware that people have been impacted" and acknowledged the concern and anxiety the incident had caused.

The meals, produced at one of the company's facilities in Dublin, include various branded and supermarket own-label items sold in Tesco, Aldi, Centra, and SuperValu stores across the country.

The recalled meals include food such as chicken curry, lasagne, bolognese, pasta bakes, cottage pies, and chow mein dishes.

Affected side dishes include ready-made mashed potatoes, carrots and peas, green cabbage and pilau rice.

Consumers are being warned not to eat these as they may be contaminated with the bacteria listeria monocytogenes.

A small number of products were also distributed and have since been recalled from Tesco stores in Northern Ireland.

'Swift, responsible, health-led response'

Ballymaguire Foods said it was working with public health authorities.

Ballymaguire Foods said Dr Patrick Wall, who is a former chief executive of the FSAI and former chairman of the European Food Safety Authority, would "lead a dedicated internal response team focused on resolving the situation, enhancing food safety protocols, and ensuring long-term prevention".

"Our priority has been a swift, responsible, health-led response and remains so," it said.

"As a precautionary measure, all products have been withdrawn and clear consumer information is being provided through our retail partners.

"We suspended all production and have taken corrective actions, including a full pharmaceutical-grade clean-down of the site."

Ballymaguire Foods said the team, headed by Dr Wall, will have a singular focus of fully and effectively resolving this matter.

"As we have stated, incidents of this nature are exceptionally rare and we are treating this with the utmost seriousness," the company added.

Small number recalled in NI

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) told BBC News NI it was aware of the investigation in the Republic of Ireland and advised consumers not to eat any of the listed products.

Consumers are advised not to eat the products if they have bought them, and to return them to the store for a full refund.

What is listeria?

Listeria infection is an illness caused by bacteria that can spread through food.

Another name for the illness is listeriosis.

It can be very serious for pregnant women, people over the age of 65, and those with weakened immune systems.

Symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes infection can include mild flu-like symptoms or gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

In rare cases, the infection can become more severe, leading to serious complications.

The incubation period (the time between initial infection and the first appearance of symptoms) averages about three weeks, but can range from three to 70 days.