Scots take legal action in wake of listeria scare
SCOTTISH victims of a recent listeria outbreak have started civil actions against major supermarket chains.
Lawyers say a number of people have sought legal assistance after 50 products were pulled from shelves over contamination fears.
Thousands of packs of frozen sweetcorn, mixed vegetables and stir-fry products have been withdrawn from sale in recent days. Families have been warned not to eat the products as there is a risk they are contaminated with food poisoning bug listeria.
The Food Standards Agency, which issued the safety alert, has increased the number of products involved from 43 to 50. They are being withdrawn because listeria is a particular threat to the elderly, pregnant women, developing babies and infants.
All the products are from a single factory in Hungary, which has had a problem with listeria contamination since 2016 but has continued to deliver across Europe.
The recall affects ten product lines sold by Tesco, including everything from its cheapest Frozen Every Day Value Sweetcorn to its Frozen Broccoli, Carrot and Sweetcorn Steamer.
The same factory provided five lines sold by Sainsbury’s, six for Lidl and four to both Waitrose and Aldi. Frozen vegetables sold under the Ross, Pinguin and Growers Pride ranges are involved.
Mark Gibson of Digby Brown Solicitors, which specialises in poisoning cases, said: ‘This listeria outbreak cannot and should not be taken lightly. It has affected an entire continent, so much so people have sadly died.
‘Supermarkets may have recalled some products but the sheer scale of the issue and the delay in responding to it means the number of victims can only be expected to increase.
‘Many of those affected are currently receiving medical treatment and the full impact is not yet known.’
He added: ‘Several individuals from the Central Belt have contacted us for legal assistance after it was confirmed by A&E doctors they were suffering from listeriosis.
‘Due to privacy issues and investigations being at an early stage, we cannot disclose any further details.’
Contaminated sweetcorn has been linked to 47 cases of illness across Europe, including nine deaths. There have been 11 cases in the UK and two deaths involving people who had other underlying health conditions.
Food standards officials in Scotland and the rest of the UK are urging anyone who has bought the products not to eat them but to return
‘Affected an entire continent’
them to shops for a full refund.
The factory at the centre of scare, in Baja, Hungary, is run by a company called Greenyard, which describes itself as the second-biggest seller of frozen vegetables and fruit in Europe.
It has factories across Europe, including two in Britain, at Boston, Lincolnshire, and Kings Lynn in Norfolk.
A spokesman said: ‘Greenyard is committed to taking a maximum of precautionary measures as food safety is our number one priority and we want our commitment to food safety to be clear to our customers and consumers.’
Listeria symptoms can be similar to flu but in rare cases it can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis.