Listeria
Listeria is a foodborne bacterial illness that can be very serious for pregnant women and people with impaired immune systems.
Food poisoning bacteria: Listeria
What food sources can it be found in?
- Unpasteurised milk or products made from it
- Soft cheeses (eg camembert, brie)
- Ready-to-eat foods (eg pre-packed sandwiches, pâté, deli meats)
- Unwashed vegetables contaminated with soil
What are the symptoms?
- Flu-like symptoms (eg high temperature, aches and pains)
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Can spread to nervous system and cause convulsions
- In rare cases, can lead to septicemia (blood poisoning) or meningitis
How can you avoid/control it?
- Avoid This happens when bacteria get transferred from raw foods to other foods, especially if they are to be eaten without cooking. For example, cross-contamination can occur if meat juices from a steak on the second shelf of a fridge drip down onto a salad on the shelf below.
- Reheat ready-to-eat foods until steaming hot all the way through (core temperature of 70℃)
- Use pasteurised milk and cheeses
- Wash raw vegetables
- Store raw meat correctly (on the bottom shelf of the fridge, under any cooked meat)