News
May 15, 2025 - Foods
May 15, 2025 - Multiple recalls due to listeria in aspic products - enhanced hygiene measures recommended
In recent weeks, three public recalls of various aspic fish specialties have been issued in Germany. Products affected were from a German food manufacturer as well as a trading company. As the investigations continued, further stepwise recalls of gourmet fish products followed. The reason was the detection of Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic bacterium that poses a significant health risk, especially for pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. An infection can cause flu-like symptoms, gastrointestinal issues, and in severe cases, meningitis, septicemia, or miscarriages. As early as 2000, several deaths and pregnancy complications occurred in France due to listeria in a tongue sausage in aspic.
Products in aspic or jelly, especially those with animal inclusions, require particularly careful food hygiene. This includes the quality control of raw materials, adequate acidification, adherence to the cold chain, hygienic processing, a properly conducted gelling process, regular cleaning and disinfection of equipment, as well as strict hygiene rules for personnel.
The BAV Institute advises that delicacies such as aspic products, cold cuts (cheese and sausage products), smoked fish, and gourmet fish should be routinely tested for Listeria monocytogenes. Validated rapid molecular biological methods are available for this purpose, providing quick and reliable results.
Sources:
- www.lebensmittelwarnung.de
- www.bav-institut.de
- www.bfr.bund.de