Waitrose issues urgent ‘do not consume’ warning on olives over fears they could contain rare invasive bacteria

A MAJOR UK supermarket has announced an urgent recall on its olives over fears they may contain a rare, invasive bacteria. Waitrose issued a “do not consume” alert after finding listeria monocytogenes in 120g pots of its pitted black olives sold across UK stores. Customers who bought packs which have a use-by date of September 13, 18 and 27, are being advised to return the product or dispose of them safely. Shoppers will receive a full refund if they return a pot to any Waitrose store. The Food Standards Agency has said symptoms of listeriosis resemble the flu, including soaring temperatures, muscle ache, chills, nausea and diarrhoea. Healthy adults will often recover from the infection in a few days, without the need for antibiotics. Read more News In rarer cases, the infection can cause major complications, like meningitis, an inflammation of the membrane in the brain. Severe listeriosis has a high mortality rate, at about 20 to 30 per cent, especially among newborns and the elderly. Unlike many other foodborne bacteria, it can grow and thrive even at fridge temperature. Waitrose apologised for the recall and inconvenience caused. Most read in The Sun It comes as Sainsbury’s also issued a recall on its pitted black olives three days ago, after the same bacteria was discovered in its product.