Listeria found in 15 per cent of ready-to-eat red meat

Pregnant women, babies and the elderly among those at risk of falling severely ill

Eyeing up that packet of salami, cold ham or beef cuts at the supermarket for a tasty sandwich? You might want to think again. A new study has found listeria in 15 per cent of prepacked ready-to-eat red meat in New Zealand. The food-borne bacteria can cause illness.

Scientists from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research carried out a microbiological survey of packed red meats — such as shaved ham and beef cold cuts — on retail sale.

A total of 1485 samples were col- lected, and each tested at the end of its stated shelf life against New Zealand’s Food Standards Code.

Researchers looked for the pathogens salmonella, staphylococci and several species of listeria. While none breached standards for salmonella or staphylococci, in total 15.5 per cent of the pre-cooked meat samples tested contained Listeria monocytogenes, which can causes the illness listeriosis.

While healthy adults and children usually do not have any symptoms from consuming listeria, the Ministry of Health website says pregnant women, babies, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are in danger of falling severely ill.

Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea and flu-like reactions. Pregnant women, in particular, are warned not to eat anything that could be contaminated with the pathogen — including hummus, pre-made salads and cold meats — due to the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or premature labour.

Listeria scares are a common reason for food products to be recalled. Just last month a raw milk drink was recalled over listeria fears, while in March the entire range of LeaderBrand salads was recalled from supermarkets after listeria was found in its Caesar Salad product.

In 2015 a popular shaved ham brand was recalled after tests found it contained the pathogen.

The researchers said their findings highlighted that there might be problems in the way some ready-to-eat meat is being packed or processed.

Better hygiene practices and more effective “risk mitigation strategies” might also be needed, they said.

The contaminated samples came from eight of the 33 producers tested. The Herald has asked the Ministry for Primary Industries for comment on whether it will be investigating those producers and whether they are complying with safety standards.

The study was published in the Journal of Food Protection.