Bacteria Listeria monocytogenes was detected in the cold-smoked sliced sausage “SALIAMIS” from Lithuania. The State Food and Veterinary Service announced the detected violation.
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The retail chain “IKI”, whose stores sold this product, stated that upon receiving information about the incident, it immediately began to investigate the situation.
“First of all, we deeply regret the poor quality product. As soon as we received information about this incident, we contacted our private label salami supplier to clarify the situation,” said “IKI” press representative Gintarė Kitovė to 15min.
According to the retail chain, the batch of “IKI” private label salami with an expiration date of October 12, 2026, and batch number GM261764946602 is being recalled.
“IKI” indicated that only small quantities of this batch’s products were in stores, and the products were removed from shelves at the end of last week.
Customers who purchased the mentioned batch of salami can return it to any “IKI” store until August 16. The retail chain informs that money will be refunded even without a purchase receipt.
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“Product quality is very important to us, so we constantly conduct self-control tests for our private labels. Quality tests were conducted on this salami earlier this year, and no quality discrepancies were found, so it is likely that any discrepancies affected only one batch, which is no longer available in stores,” added G. Kitovė.
15min also contacted the product manufacturer – UAB “Krekenavos agrofirma” regarding the situation. The publication will be updated with the company’s comment once received.
What is listeriosis?
Listeriosis is a disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, which are widespread in the environment. The main source of infection is animal food consumed raw or insufficiently heat-treated.
Unlike other bacteria, L. monocytogenes bacteria can multiply at low temperatures (in the refrigerator) and are resistant to high salt concentrations. Therefore, they can survive in processed, preserved food and cold ready-to-eat food: processed meat and fish products, dairy products such as soft cheeses, butter, and milk, especially if made from unpasteurized milk. Listeriosis can also be caused by pre-prepared sandwiches and salads.
Most healthy individuals do not experience any noticeable symptoms after consuming food contaminated with bacteria. However, in people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, newborns, and the elderly, listeriosis can manifest as meningitis, brain infection, or severe blood infection. All clinical forms of the disease require long-term antibiotic treatment, but the prognosis for invasive listeriosis infections is often poor.
ULAC doctors recommend for pregnant women, immunocompromised individuals, and people over 65 years old:
- Avoid soft cheeses (feta, Brie, Camembert, mold cheeses, etc.).
- Avoid culinary products from retail chains, as well as hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.
- Avoid unpasteurized, unboiled milk and products made from it.
- Thoroughly heat prepared food stored longer in the refrigerator before consumption.
- Avoid any animal food stored for a long time in the refrigerator, especially pâtés.
- Avoid cold-smoked seafood, cold-smoked sausages, or other similar meat products.
