Avoid festive fare food poisoning

Avoid festive fare food poisoning

Many people will be indulging in festive fare over the coming days and, with this in mind, the Agency would like to remind particular groups of people about the importance of avoiding certain foods in order to minimise the risk of food poisoning, especially listeriosis.

One cause of food poisoning is Listeria monocytogenes, which can lead to listeriosis. Although listeriosis isn’t common, it can be life-threatening in people with reduced immunity.

It usually affects people in vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women and people with weakened immunity, particularly those over 60. People with weakened immunity could include those who’ve had transplants, are taking drugs that weaken the immune system, or who have cancers that affect their immune system, such as leukaemia or lymphoma.

Vulnerable people should avoid soft mould-ripened cheeses, such as Camembert and Brie, blue-veined cheeses and pâté of any type, including vegetable.

Other foods that can sometimes contain listeria include chilled ready-to-eat foods, such as prepacked sandwiches, butter, cooked sliced meats and smoked salmon. Keeping these foods
refrigerated and observing use-by dates are important.