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The NVWA expects a significant amount of recalls and public warnings due to products that may contain frozen vegetables contaminated with listeria. The frozen vegetables come from the Hungarian manufacturer Greenyard's factory.
The European Food Authority (EFSA) reports on its website that products containing frozen vegetables potentially contaminated with Listeria bacteria have been placed on the market in various European countries, particularly in the European Union. Low
Listeria
in the Hungarian production site of Greenyard which started in June 2015. This has affected several European countries. The Hungarian government has now stopped production.
It is not yet known how many contaminated products have arrived on the Dutch market. "We do not yet have an image of the magnitude of the recall campaigns, but given the long period of the listeriosis outbreak (three years, ed), it will result in significant many public warnings, "says Tjitte Mastenbroek, spokesman for the NVWA
Listeria-killed
The Kingdom, Sweden and Austria have become, to our knowledge, 47 people sick since 2015. Nine from among them are dead. No cases of illness have been reported in the Netherlands
EFSA's extensive European long-term study shows a link between European cases and the Hungarian plant. "This does not mean that all products are contaminated, which is why we are talking about possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes," says Mastenbroek.
Incubation Time
The reason the research took about three years is due to the long incubation period of Listeria. It is only after seventy days that the consumer suffers from symptoms of illness. On the basis of the information available, it appears that the listeria contamination occurred at the Greenyard Hungarian production site in EFSA Member States after research. . Frozen corn and possibly other frozen vegetables are probably the source of the contamination, according to the European Food Authority.
Bacterial Strains
The inspectors found Listeria monocytogenes in the plant in Hungary in 2016, 2017 and 2018. This suggests that bacterial strains have survived despite cleaning and disinfection procedures. More studies, including sampling and testing, are needed to determine the exact points where infections have occurred.
Reminders
The NVWA advises companies that have received frozen vegetables from this plant to recall products. Do not just expect reminder actions, but also public warnings.
Coop
Coop supermarkets pull Coop minced schnitzel with 30% vegetables from its stores because of the listeriosis outbreak. In these meat products, there is Hungarian corn that may have been contaminated with listeria.
Tracing Studies
The products in which frozen vegetables are grown are not known. Companies are busy with screening studies to find out. NVWA oversees this. The food authority can not say how long these investigations will take. "It depends, among other things, who provided the companies."
RASFF System
The NVWA knows from reports in the RASFF system which companies have received the possibly contaminated vegetables. The companies themselves are informed by the suppliers involved.
The Food Authority advises consumers to properly heat frozen vegetables. This applies in particular to vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, babies and the elderly. Heating for two minutes at 70 degrees kills bacteria, according to NVWA
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