Chicken removed from UK schools due to Listeria scare

Action has been taken to withdraw a batch of sliced cooked chicken supplied to canteens in schools in Caerphilly, Wales, after potentially harmful levels of Listeria monocytogenes were found in the product, The U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA) reported.

Handmade Pictures, Bigstock
Handmade Pictures, Bigstock

Action has been taken to withdraw a batch of sliced cooked chicken supplied to canteens in schools in Caerphilly, Wales, after potentially harmful levels of Listeria monocytogenes were found in the product, The U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA) reported.

No illnesses linked to the incident have been reported and the risk to the vast majority of healthy children and staff is very low.

The potentially contaminated chicken was served in 45 of 90 schools supplied, as quality checks identified no concerns prior to service. As a precaution, all chicken from this supplier has been removed from the menus.

Parents of students from the affected schools were notified. At this stage, it is unclear whether the whole batch of chicken was affected, FSA reported. The samples in which the bacteria were found were taken from schools where the catering staff noticed an unusual smell and withdrew the chicken from service.

“We are working closely with Public Health Wales and Caerphilly County Borough Council environmental health to urgently identify the cause of this incident,” said Nina Purcell, FSA Director of Wales and Regulatory Delivery. The FSA is currently performing a number of investigations across the food chain, both in Wales and England, to ensure consumers are protected. If your child is under the care of a doctor because of a weakened immune system and develops any symptoms over the next two months you should contact your health care provider.”

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