Listeria is still on the alert in Italy! After the frankfurters, sandwiches and dairy products, other products have been discovered. We assess the situation.
Recently, there have been numerous cases of listeria that have involved products such as frankfurters, sandwiches and dairy products. This time, the news concerns a batch of chocolate pancakes from a well-known French brand. The lot would have been withdrawn for microbiological risk, just as reported in a note sent by the Ministry of Health. In short, the alert level is still very high and concerns various high-risk foods.
There is no sign of decreasing the number of clinical cases in Italy, due to food listeriosis. To date, there are almost 70 clinical cases of listeriosis and there are five deaths. Therefore, the level of alert is very high, not only for the consumption of sausages, sandwiches and dairy products, but it seems that other potentially risky products have been discovered.
This time, the chocolate pancakes of the French brand Bernard Jarnoux Crepier would be contaminated by the now well-known bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The company, based in Lamballe, France, on 6 October ordered the recall from the market of lot 256 of the product in question, sold in packs of six pieces (150 grams) with expiry 11/10/2022. According to a note from the Ministry of Health, the withdrawal was forced by microbiological risk. Therefore, consumers were recommended “Not to consume the product and return it to the point of sale for refund or replacement”. The announcement was published on the website of the Ministry of Health on 10 October.
The Ministry of Health invites all consumers to be very cautious, because there are many foods with a high listeria risk. Among the foods most at risk are soft cheeses, raw milk, pates, cold cuts and slightly seasoned sausages, smoked fish, fruit and vegetables. In addition, we ask you to pay attention to undercooked foods.
Although rare, listeria infection can have quite serious consequences, especially in fragile subjects such as: the elderly, immunosuppressed, pregnant women, newborns. By now, everyone knows that the causes of listeria infection lie in the presence of the bacterium in the food that is ingested. Therefore, compliance with general hygiene rules is essential. Therefore, the Ministry of Health recommends:
- Wash fruit and vegetables carefully before consuming them
- Wash hands and kitchen utensils thoroughly after handling raw food
- Pay attention to cooking food
- Consume perishable foods quickly
- Keep raw meats separate from vegetables and cooked and ready-to-eat foods
- Consume only pasteurized dairy products.