Food Standard Agency expert Dr. Joanne Edge explains the causes of listeria monocytogenes.
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00:00Have you heard of listeria and what can cause it? Let's take a look.
00:08Listeria monocytogenes is a type of bacteria that causes an illness called listeriosis.
00:14Illness from listeria is rare and in most people it causes mild symptoms such as fever,
00:20vomiting and diarrhoea. However, listeria can sometimes cause serious symptoms and in
00:25the worst cases even death. Some people are much more at risk of getting ill from listeria.
00:32These include elderly people, pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborn babies and
00:37people who are already ill with weakened immune systems.
00:42You can get listeria from different types of food but it's mainly a problem with refrigerated
00:46ready to eat foods that don't have the extra protection of further cooking to destroy bacteria
00:52such as cooked sliced meats, pate, pre-prepared sandwiches and salads, cured meats and smoked
00:59fish, cooked shellfish and mould ripened soft cheeses such as brie and camembert.
01:05The good news is there are several things you can do to reduce the risk of listeria
01:09when preparing food at home. Always keep chilled ready to eat foods cold. Make sure your fridge
01:16is working properly and is set to 5 degrees C or below. Don't be tempted to eat foods
01:21past their use by date. Follow the storage instructions on the food label and use open
01:26refrigerated foods within two days unless instructions on the packaging say otherwise.
01:31Cook or reheat foods until they're piping hot all the way through. Keep raw and ready
01:36to eat foods separate and always wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly especially if eating
01:41them raw. So there you have it, FSA explains listeria. To find out more visit food.gov.uk