Tesco cheese urgently pulled over bacteria causing meningitis and pregnancy loss
Tesco shoppers are being urgently warned to check their fridges amid fears a popular cheese may be contaminated with a potentially deadly bacteria. A specific batch of Swiss cheese is thought to contain listeria monocytogenes - a dangerous bug that, in severe cases, can lead to meningitis.
Customers who have purchased a 150g pack of Le Superbe Raclette with a best-before date of 12 May 2025 are being told to return it immediately to the Tesco store where it was bought. Only products sold by Tesco are affected - those bought elsewhere, even under the same brand supplied by Castelli UK Ltd, are considered safe.
Listeria, the bacteria behind the scare, can cause a serious illness known as listeriosis. Symptoms range from fever and muscle pain to chills, vomiting and diarrhoea - and can be life-threatening for the over 65s, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. The nasty bug can also pose dangers to unborn babies and and babies under one month old.
Customers returning the item will receive a full refeund, the Food Standards Agency said. Last year, a selection of mousses, ice creams and yoghurts contaminated with listeria bacteria were urgently pulled from supermarket shelves after three people - thought to have contracted food poisoning from the products - died in NHS hospitals.
The latest cheese recall comes after an urgent "do not eat" warning was issued for a popular beef pasta ready meal - found to potenitally contain fish instead. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has recalled the La Famiglia Rana Slow-Cooked Braised Beef Lasagne by Giovanni Rana (UK), sold in major UK supermarkets, due to a major packaging error.
Although the dish is labelled as containing beef, due to a production error, some of the products actually contain prawn and lobster instead. As the packaging does not match the actual product, there is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to crustaceans.
Shellfish can cause severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis, according to food allergy experts. According to Allergy UK: 'A fish/shellfish allergic reaction occurs when the body recognises the food protein as harmful and mounts an allergic response.
'An allergic reaction to seafood can be mild or moderate (swollen lips, face or eyes, itching, tingling mouth, hives, rash, abdominal pain, vomiting) or severe (breathing difficulties, dizziness or collapse). Fish/shellfish reactions have the potential to cause anaphylaxis, which is the most severe form of an allergic reaction.'
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