A recall has been issued for prepackaged roast beef sold in a low-cost supermarket chain in Belgium, food safety authorities announced, citing "possible presence" of the listeria bacteria.
Federal food safety agency AFSCA/FAVV issued the recall in consultation with supermarket chain Aldi on 4 October, following news that the bacteria had caused at least three deaths in the Netherlands.
The meat recalled is a prepackaged roast beef tray of 100 grams by brand Délifin, statements on AFSCA's and ALDI's website read. The products concerned by the recall are all those with sell-by dates going up to 13 October 2019 and sold in ALDI stores.
"A possible presence of listeria was detected during internal inspections at the manufacturing plant, ALDI, together with AFSCA, has decided to pull this product from the shelves and to alert consumers," the statement on ALDI's website reads.
A spokesperson with the low-cost supermarket chain in Belgium said that the recall was only issued as a precautionary measure following news of the contamination in the Netherlands.
"No infection was found in the roast beef, not even during our own checks. But we are recalling [the product] as a general precaution," ALDI spokesperson Dieter Snoeck told De Standaard.
The recall comes after news broke that three people had died and one woman had suffered a miscarriage in the Netherlands over the past two years after eating meat contaminated with the bacteria, according to HLN.
In Germany, reports that two people have died in the state of Hesse led authorities to shut down the supplier of the suspected meat products and issue product recalls, according to the outlet, which reports that dozens of other people in Germany also fell ill after consuming salami and meat spread.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
