Urgent recall: Silverside pulled from shelves amidst listeria crisis

Following recalls of frozen vegetables and rockmelons earlier this year, health authorities have issued an urgent recall of silverside sold in South Australia after the potentially deadly listeria virus was detected in the meat.

On Thursday afternoon, South Australia Health advised shoppers that pre-packaged silverside purchased from Drakes Supermarkets across the state had potentially been exposed to the listeria virus. SA Health’s Acting Executive Director of Public Health Services Chris Lease said although listeria has been detected, no cases of infection had yet been reported as a result of consuming the product.

“Following detection of listeria during routine testing, Drakes Supermarkets are working to remove any potentially affected product from supply today,” Lease said in a statement.

Listeria can be life-threatening for certain people, particularly those over the age of 60. Those who are over 70, have diabetes, cancer or even suppressed immune systems are most at risk, while it is also known to cause illness in pregnant women and their unborn babies.

In many cases, listeria is present in natural products without causing any harm. However, it is particularly difficult to diagnose as symptoms present at different times. Victims typically show flu-like symptoms including a fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhoea. Some people show symptoms immediately, while others can take more than six weeks to appear after eating food at risk.

HEALTH ALERT: LISTERIA DETECTED IN SILVERSIDE. For more information, visit https://t.co/HIPmRCkwTp. pic.twitter.com/7grO7pdeG5

— SA Health (@SAHealth) October 11, 2018

While no one has yet reported symptoms as a result of consuming the product, South Australians are being urged not to eat the silverside.

“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 impacted product is sold under the name Drakes Premium Gourmet Selection silverside, and is available for sale at all Drakes supermarkets. The meat has a use-by date of October 15 and November 5.

Read more: Aussies urged to ‘buy local’ after listeria fears spark veggie recall

Health officials have encouraged anyone showing symptoms to visit their GP. Those most at risk should book an appointment as soon as symptoms appear.

At the time of publication, a recall hadn’t been issued for silverside sold in other Australian states or territories. Meanwhile, Drakes Supermarket also advised customers not to eat the product and to return it to the store of purchase for a refund.

Do you eat silverside? Are you concerned your meat may be impacted by listeria?