Warning on cocktail sausages with possible Listeria contamination

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (April 21) advised the public not to eat certain batches of Jean Caby pre-packaged cocktail sausages which are suspected to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

EU authorities said that the manufacturer was recalling the product. Details are as follows:

Brand name: Jean Caby
Product name: Saucisse Cocktail Nature (300g)
Expiry date: Shelf-life before July 30, 2010
Country of origin: France

The EU authorities informed the CFS that some of the affected product had been exported to Hong Kong. "Investigations revealed that the product had earlier been on sale in the 'great Food Hall' supermarket and the supermarket has already stopped selling the product," a CFS spokesman said.

He advised consumers who had bought the affected product not to consume it and to seek medical advice if they developed symptoms after eating the affected product.

Symptoms after exposure to Listeria monocytogenes may include fever, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea. Healthy individuals rarely develop symptoms. The effects on pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and people with weak immunity, however, could be severe, and could include miscarriage and meningitis.

"The CFS has alerted the trade to stop selling the product and is monitoring the situation," the spokesman said.

Ends/Wednesday, April 21, 2010