Lidl has pulled a range of smoked fish products from their shelves just days before Christmas amid Listeria contamination fears.
A series of festive favourite smoked salmon and smoked trout goods were recalled by food safety watchdogs after a fatal outbreak of the bacteria traced back to Scots producer St James Smokehouse. Fifteen patients have become ill with the nasty flu-like bug since October 2020, including three older patients who died.
The Food Standards Agency warned the recalled products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, including Lidl Deluxe Oak Smoked Scottish Louch/ Loch Trout, Lidl Lighthouse Bay Smoked Trout Trimmings and Lidl Deluxe Mild & Delicate Smoked Scottish Salmon. Also affected are Lidl Deluxe Smoked Scottish Salmon with Ben Bracken Whisky and Lidl Lighthouse Bay Smoked Scottish Salmon Trimmings.
In a statement, the FSA said: "Symptoms caused by this organism can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea. However, in rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis.
"Some people are more vulnerable to listeria infections, including those over 65 years of age, pregnant women and their unborn babies, babies less than one month old and people with weakened immune systems." The Lidl supermarket chain has put up point-of-sale notices in its stores informing customers of the extended recall and advising they return any items bought for a full refund.
Listeria is less common than salmonella or E. coli but the most lethal Most healthy immune systems can tackle the infection, but if the bug makes it into the bloodstream, it causes deadly listeriosis - which kills one in five who get it.
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