First it was Unilever and its Telma breakfast cereals that were found infected with salmonella. Over 150,000 boxes were found to be contaminated. Unilever issued an apology to consumers but the Health Ministry has launched a probe amid reports of an attempted cover-up by company officials.

A few days later consumers learned the Shamir salads containing tehina are also infected with salmonella, tracing back to the tehina manufacturer in northern Israel. A recall was issued and a Health Ministry probe was launched.

On Thursday afternoon 7 Menachem Av, Channel 10 News reported yet another case of food contamination, bags of frozen French fries, referred to as ‘chips’ in Israel with the label Milutal (מילוטל). According to the report, an independent lab test of the product revealed listeria.

The company announced that some of its product has been contaminated and a recall has already been issued as of Thursday afternoon. Any consumer with the product is instructed to refrain from eating it, but rather return it to the place of purchase.

Company officials add that even if one was to eat the frozen chips, one would have to heat the item in hot oil and in most cases, that would eliminate the bacteria. However, consumers are urged not to rely on this.

Infected are:

· 2kg bags from the mehadrin line with ‘permitted for use’ date up to July 25, 2017

· 2.5kg bags for use until July 27, 2017

· American chips 2.5kg bag for use until July 26, 2017

· 800 gram bags of frozen potatoes for use until July 28, 2017.

Wikipedia

Listeria is a genus of bacteria that up to 1992 contained 10 known species, each containing two subspecies. As of 2014 another five species were identified.

Listeria species are Gram-positive, rod-shaped, facultatively anaerobic, and nonspore-forming. The major human pathogen in the Listeria genus is L. monocytogenes. It is usually the causative agent of the relatively rare bacterial disease listeriosis, a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria. The disease affects pregnant women, newborns, adults with weakened immune systems, and the elderly.

Listeriosis is a serious disease for humans; the overt form of the disease has a case-fatality rate around 20%. The two main clinical manifestations are sepsis and meningitis. Meningitis is often complicated by encephalitis, when it is known as meningoencephalitis, a pathology that is unusual for bacterial infections. L. ivanovii is a pathogen of mammals, specifically ruminants, and has rarely caused listeriosis in humans. The incubation period can vary between 3 and 70 days.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)