Delhaize recalls herring fillets due to listeriosis threat
Sveta Golovina, Unsplash
Delhaize supermarket chain has urgently withdrawn from sale its own-brand herring fillets sold in shops from 2 to 9 December. The reason was possible contamination of the product with Listeria monocytogenes, the causative agent of listeriosis, an infectious disease that can be fatal in some cases.
In an official statement, Delhaize urges customers not to consume the suspicious product and to return it to the shop. The company emphasises that the risks primarily affect vulnerable groups - pregnant women, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems and newborns. The infection can be particularly severe in these groups: by affecting the central nervous system, it can cause meningitis or septicaemia.
The symptoms of listeriosis resemble those of severe food poisoning: fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. However, the latent period of infection can last up to 70 days, which makes diagnosis difficult and the consequences can be significantly delayed.
Delhaize does not specify how many packages of herring fillets have reached consumers, but has already started co-operating with sanitary authorities to carry out further checks and find out the source of the contamination.
