SHOPPERS have been warned that eating smoked salmon and other kinds of fish could make them sick due to an outbreak of listeria.
A food poisoning outbreak has been linked to people who have eaten smoked fish.
There have been 12 cases of listeriosis since 2020, with six of these since January this year.
Patients have been found in England and Scotland – including a pregnant woman.
It can cause vomiting and diarrhoea and can be dangerous for elderly, vulnerable or pregnant people.
Listeriosis in pregnant women can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or severe illness in newborn babies.
People with a weakened immune system or those aged over 65 could develop more severe infections such as sepsis or meningitis.
In most of the population, though, it would be a mild illness.
Anyone in a high risk group should thoroughly cook the fish before eating it.
It’s not clear exactly which products are affected by the outbreak, or if shoppers can return them to the store for a refund.
We have asked the FSA and will update this article when we’ve heard back.
The most common kind of smoked fish is salmon, but you can also buy other types in supermarkets including mackeral.
Tina Potter, head of incidents at the Food Standards Agency said: “We are working closely with UK partners across government to ensure that this advice is as clear as possible – members of the public do not need to avoid these products, but should ensure risks are reduced as far as possible.“
To limit your chances of getting sick, keep chilled ready-to-eat smoked fish cold in the fridge at 5C or below.
Always use the products by their use-by date and follow the storage instructions on the label.
Cook or reheat the fish until it is piping hot all the way through, the FSA said.
Batches of smoked salmon were recalled in Ireland in February due to listeria, although it’s not clear if that outbreak is connected to the one in the UK.
Shoppers have been warned about other products that could cause illness recently.
Kinder Surprise eggs have been recalled by manufacturer Ferrero over salmonella risks.
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