Thousands at risk in UK listeria bacteria contamination
Pastor Dale Morgan
Thousands at risk in UK listeria bacteria contamination*
By Nic Fleming, Medical Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:07am GMT 17/03/2007
Tens of thousands of people have eaten sandwiches that may have been
infected with the potentially fatal listeria bug, the food watchdog
warned last night.
Those affected will face an anxious wait of up to 90 days - the time it
can take for symptoms to appear - before they know whether they are in
the clear, claims the Health Protection Agency.
Experts told vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and the elderly
who may have eaten one of the snacks to be particularly cautious if they
fall ill during the next three months.
The Food Standards Agency said no cases of the illness had yet been
reported.
Tens of thousands of sandwiches supplied by Kent-based catering company
Anchor Catering were yesterday recalled from businesses, hospitals and
schools across London and the South East.
Samples were found to be infected with the bacterium during routine
tests by Ashford borough council.
The recalled sandwiches had use-by dates from Feb 21 to March 14, and
were labelled either as Anchor or Pomegranate products.
They were supplied to outlets across Kent, Sussex, Essex, Middlesex and
Greater London before the problem was detected. Anchor makes about
10,000 sandwiches a day.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched an investigation into how
the contamination occurred.
Dr Andrew Wadge, FSA chief scientist, said: "Listeria doesn't pose a
threat to the vast majority of the population but it can be serious for
vulnerable groups such as pregnant women.
"We are working closely with the company and the local authority to
discover how this happened.
"Although the company took prompt action to notify customers and
withdraw the product, large numbers of sandwiches may have been consumed
before the problem was detected."
Anchor Catering voluntarily suspended production at its sandwich factory
and told all outlets to pull its products within those dates after the
contamination came to light.
Dr Graham Bickler, regional director of the Health Protection Agency
South East, said: "Most people will not suffer any ill effects, but some
groups of people are more at risk and will need prompt treatment if they
develop the infection.
"This group includes pregnant women, the elderly, young babies and
people whose immune systems are compromised - for example people with
HIV or those undergoing chemotherapy."
Dr Bickler urged people in those vulnerable groups, who could have eaten
the sandwiches in question, to seek medical advice if they become ill
within the next two to three months.
He added: "We also want doctors and healthcare workers to be aware of
the signs and symptoms of listeria infection so the correct treatment
can be offered promptly."
Scores of hospitals received the sandwiches subject to the recall. Some
were used for in-patients' lunches and others were sold in staff
restaurants, dining rooms, snack bars, coffee shops and in outpatient
outlets.
The sandwiches also went to scores of South East infant schools,
secondary schools, colleges and universities.
Businesses supplied with the sandwiches included local councils, cafes
and leisure attractions.
Anchor Catering was last night unavailable for comment about the
listeria scare.