Warning for hospital caterers as listeria outbreak kills three

NHS trusts have been advised to withdraw a dessert brand from foodservice and sale at all healthcare settings after cluster of listeria monocytogenes cases in three English and Welsh regions.

Five infections in patients aged 68-89 across the North West, Yorkshire and Humber, West Midlands and Wales resulted in three deaths, though all cases had underlying immunocompromising health conditions. The patients experienced symptoms between May and December last year.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have traced the outbreak to frozen ready-to-eat mousse desserts (chocolate and vanilla, and strawberry and vanilla flavours) supplied by Cool Delight Desserts, a brand from Cheshire-based B&A Susca. The FSA and UKHSA have advised that other dessert lines from the company could also be affected.

The governmental agencies have warned hospitals and care homes to quarantine all Cool Delight Desserts manufactured at the supplier’s Hyde premises until the FSA or a local authority provides further advice.

The FSA and UKHSA identified listeria in a routine sampling of two mousse flavours at an NHS hospital in south-west England on two different dates in February.

Tina Potter, head of incidents at the FSA, wrote in an alert to healthcare caterers: “Although the levels of listeria in the mousses were below maximum thresholds set out in food legislation for fit and healthy consumers, given the severely immunocompromised patients in hospitals and other healthcare settings, including pregnant women, their babies and babies under one month old, are more likely to suffer severe symptoms from listeria infection.

“Schools are out of scope, because these consumer groups are not routinely at risk from listeriosis.”

Listeriosis can cause intestinal illness, a high temperature and aches and pains, and can be life-threatening for immunocompromised and vulnerable people.

Although listeria bacteria is widespread in the environment and can contaminate a wide range of foods, it is more common in ready-to-eat foods. Food businesses are required to apply food safety controls to make sure listeria is not present at unsafe levels in these foods.

The Caterer has approached Cool Delight Desserts for comment.

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