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A deadly Listeria outbreak in the United Kingdom has been traced to a salmon-smoking processing factory in Scotland.
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have now named the company involved in the outbreak which has affected 15 people in England, Scotland and Wales since October 2020. Nine patients have become ill since January 2022, many of them eating ready-to-eat smoked fish before becoming ill.
Most of the patients were over 65 years of age but one was a pregnant woman. Three people over the age of 65 have died and Listeria monocytogenes was the cause of death in two. All cases had an underlying health condition.
Products positive at low levels
Lidl GB recalled Deluxe Oak Smoked Scottish Loch Trout and Lighthouse Bay Smoked Trout Trimmings produced by St James Smokehouse. Dates affected by all use between December 20, 2022 and January 6, 2023 of Oak Smoked Scottish Louch Trout 100 grams and Lighthouse Bay Smoked Trout Trimmings 120 grams.
In November, authorities said the products tested positive for listeria but were within the maximum allowable levels set out in the law. A limit of 100 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) applies to foods that can support the growth of Listeria during the product’s shelf-life.
If a product complies with microbiological regulatory limits but still poses a risk to vulnerable consumers, authorities said it is important that interventions ensure the implementation of food safety controls as well as public health messages so that the public understands the risks.
A Food Standards Scotland spokesman said: “During testing, Listeria monocytogenes matching the outbreak strain was found in products produced by St James Smokehouse and sold by Lidl. The levels found are not above permissible limits, but the Listeria strain has characteristics that make it more dangerous for sensitive consumers.
Advice to customers
Junior Johnson, FSA’s director of operations, said the outbreak investigation identified a strain of Listeria monocytogenes that causes severe illness.
“As we approach the peak of the holiday season, we know that consumers are more likely to eat smoked fish, such as smoked salmon and trout. While the investigation into the outbreak is ongoing, the FSS and FSA are reminding vulnerable consumers of the advice about eating smoked fish in general – that it should be heated until it is warm before they eat it,” he said.
Johnson also praised Lidl for “doing the right thing” in taking the recall action.
Listeria is ubiquitous in the environment, and there is no stage in the production of cold smoked salmon that can eliminate the organism, so reducing the risk to zero is extremely difficult. Food Standards Scotland said the controls focus on good hygiene practices to reduce the risk of contamination and ensure shelf life.
Advice for people over 65, pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems is to cook ready-to-eat smoked fish thoroughly before eating it. The warning covers cold smoked fish products that are not normally cooked at home before consumption.
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