South Australians, particularly pregnant women, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems, are advised not to consume pre-packed sliced silverside purchased from Drakes Supermarkets following the detection of Listeria in the product.
SA Health’s Acting Executive Director of Public Health Services, Dr Chris Lease, said as yet there have been no cases of Listeria infection reported to SA Health linked to the product.
“Following detection of Listeria during routine testing, Drakes Supermarkets are working to remove any potentially affected product from supply today,” Dr Lease said.
“While we have not received notification of anyone contracting Listeria from the product, the infection can be extremely serious if it is contracted by the elderly, pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems.
“Many people are exposed to Listeria often with only mild illness resulting, but it can be more serious in the at-risk groups, so all South Australians at-risk should avoid eating the product.
“As a precaution, we recommend anyone who has purchased sliced silverside from Drakes Supermarkets to not eat it and either return it to the place of purchase, or discard it.”
The affected silverside is labelled Drakes Premium Gourmet Selection silverside, available for purchase at all Drakes Supermarkets.
The silverside packets have a use-by date of 15 October 2018, and 5 November 2018.
Listeria infection starts with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea, and sometimes diarrhoea.
People can start experiencing symptoms within a few days, but they can take up to six weeks to appear after eating contaminated product.
Those most at-risk include pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborn babies, the elderly, people of all ages with immune systems weakened by disease or illness, and anyone on medication that can suppress the immune system.
If symptoms develop, people are advised to see their GP. Those in the at-risk groups should consult their GP as early as possible if any symptoms appear.
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