One dead in listeria outbreak linked to cheese

One person in the UK has died after developing a listeria infection, public health bodies have revealed, as they warned consumers not to eat Baronet semi-soft cheeses because of contamination discovered at exceptionally high levels in some products.

An alert from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the Old Cheese Room, a Wiltshire-based manufacturer, had extended its recall of Baronet, Baby Baronet and Mini Baronet soft cheeses because listeria had been found in some batches.

The FSA and UK Health Security Agency said three cases of listeriosis had been potentially linked to an outbreak, with one individual having died.

“The outbreak strain has also been found in some food products and samples taken from food environments, however there is no confirmation that Baronet is the cause of this outbreak,” the statement said.