A potato salad available at supermarkets in Canberra and the rest of south-eastern Australia has been recalled because of a listeria contamination.
Food Standards Australia said that a "Bacon and Dijon Gourmet Salad" produced by the Daly Potato Company had been recalled from sale at Woolworths stores in the NSW, the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania as well as from Coles supermarkets in Tasmania.
The government regulator said the recall applied to 400 gramme containers with a sell-by date of January 8.
The salad is made by a small firm in Tasmania. The Daly family grow potatoes at their farm overlooking Marion Bay near Hobart and turn them into salads and other potato products at a plant in Sorrel, north east of the Tasmanian capital.
Their marketing slogan is: "We, sow, grow, harvest, cut, mix, mash, and smash our potatoes into lovingly made, home-style dishes for your table."
The company's production manager, Darren Eiszele, said that 250 batches of the salad had not been accounted for (each batch contains six tubs). The rest of the 700 on sale across south eastern Australia had been taken off the shelves.
He said the risk of contracting listeria was very small. If someone had bought a tub and left it in a warm place, the risk would be higher.
The company routinely tests batches at random for acidity. The reading on this batch was slightly higher than the accepted level so further tests were done and traces of listeria were detected.
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Listeria is a rare illness but it can be deadly for those who contract it.
"In Australia each year around 150 people are hospitalised with listeriosis and about 15 people die," according to Food Standards Australia.
"People at greater risk from listeriosis include pregnant women, their unborn and newborn babies, the elderly and other people whose immune systems have been weakened by illness or drugs (for example: cancer patients, organ transplant recipients, and people on drugs like cortisone)."
The company was trying to trace the source of the listeria by analysing each of the ingredients and tracking them back to the supplier. The factory was also being examined. Production had been halted.
Food Standards Australia adviced: "Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund."
