One dead as 9 people struck down with killer infection after eating ready meals sold in Tesco and Aldi
The adult was among nine confirmed cases of listeriosis, an infection usually suffered after eating contaminated food.
The HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) is probing the death in Ireland.
Listeriosis is caused by the bacterium listeria monocytogenes and is a notifiable disease, meaning medical practitioners are required to tell public health bosses if a case comes to their attention.
It follows a major recall of ready-made meals from Irish stores due to the possible presence of listeria monocytogenes. The list of over 200 recalled products is available here.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said in a statement: "A National Outbreak Control Team is currently investigating an extensive outbreak of listeriosis.
"A voluntary precautionary food recall of ready-to-heat meals is underway due to a link with the outbreak.
"Nine confirmed cases of listeriosis have been identified as of 22 July 2025.
"The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been notified of and is investigating the death of an adult with confirmed listeriosis.
"To ensure medical confidentiality, no further information on this patient can be disclosed.
"The National Outbreak Control Team is chaired by the HSE National Health Protection Office and comprises the HSE National Environmental Health Service, the HSE Regional Public Health Services, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the National Salmonella, Shigella and Listeria Reference Laboratory and the National Reference Laboratory of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
"The investigation is ongoing and there is no further comment at this time."
How to protect myself from listeriosis?
Protecting yourself against the fatal bacteria is vital, especially for pregnant women, infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
There are several measures issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre that can significantly reduce the risk of contracting the infection:
Keep foods for as short a time as possible and follow storage instructions including 'use by' and 'eat by' dates
Cook food thoroughly, especially meat, ensuring that it is cooked through to the middle
Keep uncooked meats separate from vegetables and from cooked and ready-to-eat foods
Wash salads, fruit and raw vegetables thoroughly before eating, or peel if appropriate
Wash hands, knives, and cutting boards after contact with uncooked food
Make sure that the refrigerator is working correctly
When heating food in a microwave, follow heating and standing times recommended by the manufacturer
Throw away leftover reheated food. Cooked food which is not eaten immediately should be cooled as rapidly as possible and then stored in the refrigerator
Pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems should avoid eating high-risk foods such as:
raw (unpasteurised) milk
foods made from raw milk,
soft or mould-ripened cheeses (e.g. feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses),
pâté
smoked salmon
If contact with ewes at lambing time is unavoidable for pregnant women, the elderly, or people with weakened immune systems, washing hands after handling animals should reduce any possibility of infection
The recalled branded prepared meals and side dishes were produced by Ballymaguire Foods, but are marketed under the labels of the stores selling them.
The list includes popular ready meals such as the Meals Made Easy, Beef Lasagne and Finest Cottage Pie, both sold in Tesco, and the Signature Taste Potato Mash sold in SuperValu.
Centra Freshly Prepared Chicken Massaman with Sticky Jasmine Rice and Aldi Inspired Cousine Chicken & Broccoli Bake were also recalled following the alert.
Also included are The Happy Pear Shepherdless Pie, Creamy Veggie Lasagne and Chickpea Curry items.
BALLYMAGUIRE STATEMENT
Ballymaguire Foods told RTE News it had started a "full precautionary recall of all products produced at one of our facilities following the identification of listeria bacteria as part of a quality control check".
Apologising to customers, it added that "incidents of this nature are extremely rare for us".
It said it is treating the outbreak "with the utmost seriousness and are working closely with all parties to manage the situation swiftly and responsibly".
On Saturday, July 19 it said it temporarily suspended all production at the affected facility and carried out a full pharmaceutical-grade clean-down operation, while production will resume when it is confirmed safe to do so.
PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES
Ballymaguire Foods added: "Immediately upon identifying the issue, we informed our retail and food-service customers and engaged with all relevant authorities, including the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the Health Service Executive, and our regional Environmental Health Officer.
"Through our retail partners, all products are being withdrawn from the shelves, and a full consumer communication process is under way."
As a precautionary measure Ballymaguire Foods said that on Saturday it made the decision to temporarily suspend all production at the affected facility, and that a comprehensive assessment and immediate corrective actions were carried out, including a full pharmaceutical-grade clean down of the facility.
It said production will resume at the facility once it is confirmed safe to do so.
DO NOT EAT WARNING
Consumers are advised to check their freezers for the implicated products and dispose of them.
They are also encouraged not to eat the affected ready meals and to dispose of them or return them to the point-of-sale.
The FSAI added that recall notices will be displayed at point-of-sale.
They continued: "Retailers are requested to remove the implicated products from sale and display recall notices at point-of-sale.
RECALL NOTICE
"Wholesalers/distributors are requested to contact their affected customers and recall the implicated products and provide a point-of-sale recall notice to their retailer customers.
"Caterers should not use the implicated products."
If healthy customers have consumed the contaminated food with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, they are usually fine as they don't exhibit any symptoms or cause a mild flu-like illness.
But if immunocompromised and elderly individuals contracted the infection from contaminated food, it can spread to the central nervous system, causing meningitis and/or septicaemia.
SYMPTOMS OF LISTERIOSIS
It comes with such symptoms as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions.
Infected pregnant women may have no symptoms or experience only a mild flu-like illness.
Still, infection during pregnancy can lead to premature labour, meningitis in the newborn or even miscarriage.
The FSAI added: "Symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes infection can include mild flu-like symptoms, or gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
"In rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications.
"The incubation period (time between initial infection and first symptoms appearing) is on average 3 weeks but can range between 3 and 70 days."
If contracted, the dangerous bacteria can be treated with antibiotics, but even with treatment, infection can be severe and may result in death.
FULL LIST OF ALL RECALLED PRODUCTS
A FULL list of the recalled products.
Tesco
Irish Classics
Cottage Pie with Peas & Carrots Dinner
Beef Dinner
Bacon & Cabbage Dinner
Beef Stew Dinner
Chicken Curry & Rice
Beef Burger Dinner
Classic Kitchen
Chicken & Ham Dinner
Chicken/Leek & White Wine Sauce Dinner
Meals Made Easy
Cottage Pie
Beef Lasagne
Chicken Curry
Chicken & Pasta Bake
Chicken & Broccoli Potato Bake
Carbonara Pasta Bake
Chicken Korma
Finest
Cottage Pie
Mac & Triple Cheese
Beef Lasagne
Beef Bourguignon and Mash
Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghetti Carbonara
Chicken Korma with Fragrant Pilau Rice
Chicken Tikka Masala with Fragrant Pilau Rice
Chicken and Chorizo Paella
Chicken, Bacon & Leek Pie
Creamy Fish Pie
Beef in Black Bean Sauce & Egg Rice
Chicken Al Fredo with Linguine
Chicken Parmigiano
Chicken Breast in a Mushroom and Madeira Sauce
Chicken Massaman with Jasmine Rice
Irish Angus Beef Meatballs with Pappardelle
Creamy Mashed Potato
Potato Gratin
Three Cheese Cauliflower Bake
Goose Fat Irish Potatoes
Rainbow Root Vegetables
Salmon with Lemon & Dill Sauce
Tesco (own brand)
Mashed Potato
Mashed Carrot & Parsnip
Mashed Turnip
Cauliflower Cheese
Chicken Tikka with Pilau Rice
Chicken Jalfrezi with Pilau Rice
Chicken Korma with Pilau Rice
Butter Chicken Masala with Pilau Rice
Chinese Style Chicken Curry with Egg Rice
Chicken & Black Bean with Egg Rice
Chicken Chow Mein
Sweet & Sour Chicken with Egg Rice
Thai Green Chicken Curry with Jasmine Rice
Thai Red Chicken Curry with Jasmine Rice
Coconut Chicken Curry with Jasmine Rice
Tex Mex Chilli Beef Burrito Bowl
Tex Mex Chicken Burrito Bowl
Mashed Potato
Carrot & Parsnip Mash
Baby Potatoes with a Garlic & Herb Butter
Supervalu
Signature Taste
Potato Mash
Potato Gratin
Supervalu (own brand)
Beef Lasagne
Cottage Pie
Chicken Pasta
Chicken Curry
Chicken Arrabiata
Ham & Mushroom Tagliatelle
Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghetti Carbonara
Mac & Cheese
Freshly Prepared
Irish Beef Dinner
Chicken & Stuffing Dinner
Salmon Dinner
Burger Dinner
Beef Lasagne
Cottage Pie/Cheddar Crumb
Carbonara Pasta Bake
Chicken Curry & Rice
Chicken Tikka & Rice
Beef Chilli & Rice
Mexican Bean Burrito Bowl
Salmon Penne Pasta
Teriyaki Beef Noodle Bowl
Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
Beef Lasagne
Cottage Pie
Chicken With Black Bean & Egg rice
Chicken with White Wine sauce
Chorizo Mac & Cheese
Korean style chicken with noodles
Chicken Laksa
Carrots & Peas
Green Cabbage
Irish Rooster Mash
Mashed Turnip
Roasted Baby Potatoes
Roasted Carrots with Black Pepper & Sea Salt
Centra
Centra (own brand)
Beef Lasagne
Cottage Pie
Chicken Pasta
Chicken Curry
Chicken Arrabiata
Ham & Mushroom Tagliatelle
Spaghetti Bolognese
Freshly Prepared
Irish Beef Dinner
Chicken & Stuffing Dinner
Salmon Dinner
Burger Dinner
Beef Lasagne
Cottage Pie/Cheddar Crumb
Carbonara Pasta Bake
Chicken Curry & Rice
Chicken Tikka & Rice
Centra FP Mexican Bean Burrito Bowl 450g x 6
Teriyaki Beef Noodle Bowl
Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
Chicken With Black Bean & Egg rice
Chicken with White Wine sauce
Chorizo Mac & Cheese
Korean Style Chicken with Noodles
Chicken Laksa
Centra FP Chicken Massaman with Sticky Jasmine Rice
Supervalu & Centra
Kitchen
Beef Lasagne
Fuel'd Foods
Chicken Curry with Brown Rice
Wholemeal Pasta Bolognese
Chicken Tikka Masala with Brown Rice
Tomato Chicken & Wholemeal Pasta
Chicken & Chorizo with Baby Potatoes
Clean Cut
Beef Stroganoff
Chicken Carbonara
Chicken Curry
Spaghetti Bolognese
Chicken Spice Bag
Thai Green Curry
Chow Mein
Chicken Chorizo Pasta
Veggie Bolognese
Beef Taco Wedges
Butter Chicken
Cottage Pie
Happy Pear
Veggie Lasagne
Shepherdless Pie
Cannelloni
Chickpea Curry
Tasty Thai Noodles
Sticky Soy Noodles
Mexican Bean Burrito Bowl
Spinach & Mushroom Pasta
Food To Go
Beef Lasagne
Chicken Curry
Beef Casserole
Chilli Beef
Chicken Tikka
Chicken Pasta Bake
Beef Stroganoff
Carbonara Pasta Bake
Bolognese with Pancetta
Mash Potato
Potato Gratin
Basmati Rice
Roasted Baby Potatoes
Roast Root Veg
Green Cabbage
Baton Carrots
Carrots & Peas
Mash Turnip
Potato Wedges
Pilau Rice
Aldi
Specially Selected
Spaghetti Bolognese
Ham & Mushroom Tagliatelle
Inspired Cuisine
Irish Cottage Pie
Rustic & Hearty Beef Lasagne
Chip Shop Chicken Curry
Chicken & Broccoli Bake
Rustic & Hearty Bolognese Pasta Bake
Rustic & Hearty Chicken & Tomato Pasta Bake
Seafood Pie
Chicken Pie
Various Retailers
From the Farm
Chicken Curry
Beef Lasagne
Basmati Rice
Chilli Beef
The Happy Pear
Shepherdless Pie
Creamy Veggie Lasagne
Chickpea Curry
Good Food Locally Sourced
Turkey & Ham Dinner
Chicken & Stuffing Dinner
Spaghetti Carbonara
Chicken Arrabiata
Spaghetti Bolognese
Beef Dinner
Clean Cut
Beef Stroganoff with Long Grain Rice
Chicken & Chorizo Paella with Arborio Rice
Chicken Carbonara with Tagliatelle Pasta
Chicken Curry with Long Grain Rice
Spaghetti Bolognese with Irish Beef
Chicken Spice Box with Sweet Potato
Thai Green Curry with Coconut Basmati Rice
Turkey Meatballs & Spaghetti
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