Three people have died and two others have been hospitalised following a listeria outbreak linked to chocolate desserts supplied to NHS hospitals.
The cases have been reported across the UK rather than in one specific area, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Public Health Authorities.
Officials suspect mousses and ice creams made by Cool Delight Desserts to be the source of the outbreak of the diarrhoea-causing bug.
All chilled desserts including ice cream, ice cream rolls, mousses and yoghurts supplied by the company to the NHS and care homes have now been recalled by the Food Standards Agency as a precaution.
Officials suspect mousses and ice creams made by Cool Delight Desserts
Cool Delight Desserts
Hospital staff have been urged to check ward fridges to ensure products are removed, according to alerts sent to NHS trusts.
The patients were identified between May and December 2024, and all were aged between 68 and 89 years old.
Two cases were reported in Yorkshire and Humber, one in the North West, another in the West Midlands, and the fifth was in Wales.
All victims had underlying immunocompromising health conditions and were hospitalised.
Health chiefs are continuing to investigate the outbreak to determine whether any other sources could be to blame.
The bacterium was detected in two different mousse flavours – chocolate and vanilla, and strawberry and vanilla – during routine testing at an NHS hospital in the South West of England last month.
The FSA defines Listeria monocytogenes (listeria) as a foodborne bacterium that causes an illness called listeriosis.
“Cases of listeriosis are rare, and in healthy adults and children, listeria usually causes few or no symptoms,” according to the health body. “However, some people have a higher risk of becoming ill and developing severe illness (invasive listeriosis).”
Levels of listeria monocytogenes were below the regulatory threshold, but the FSA noted that “severely immunocompromised patients in hospitals and other health care settings” are “more likely to suffer severe symptoms from listeria infection”.
Listeriosis poses a particular threat to the elderly, pregnant women and babies
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A representative from Cool Delight Desserts told Food Safety News that the company was in ongoing discussions with the FSA.
For most people, listeria poisoning can present symptoms similar to flu, including high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills and feeling or being sick. Symptoms typically recede after a few days for most individuals.
However, listeriosis poses a particular threat to the elderly, pregnant women and babies. In rarer cases the infection can be more severe, causing life-threatening complications, such as meningitis.
Many foods can harbour listeria, but it is usually found in unpasteurised milk, soft cheeses and ready-to-eat foods, such as prepacked sandwiches.
