NZ hospital food safe after deaths

Namita Nayyar (WF Team)

12 years ago

NZ hospital food safe after deaths

– Reported, 02 August, 2012

THE New Zealand government agency in charge of food safety is reassuring hospital patients their meals are safe after two patients died in a listeria outbreak.

Investigations are continuing into the outbreak which is linked to the deaths of two women, one in her 60s and another in her 80s.

Listeria had been identified as the cause of one death and was a significant factor in the other death, the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board said.

Two other people who contracted the bacteria have since recovered.

A Napier-based producer of cold meats has issued a recall notice for some pre-packaged meats because of the potential they were infected with listeria.

Bay Cuisine was recalling ham products and salami rolls and said they should not be consumed.

The Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s cafeteria and kitchen are supplied with products from the company.

It was unclear if the patients, admitted to the hospital in May and June, had contracted the bug while in its care but listeria had been identified in products sold to the hospital.

Pre-packaged meats had been removed from the hospital on July 10.