Chief Environmental Health Officers are being advised that a particular type of cooked ham produced for Safeway supermarkets has been removed from shop shelves, following the discovery of salmonella during routine testing.
Safeway have issued an urgent recall, and cleared it shelves of its own-brand cooked ham, after the suppliers Hazlewood Foods of Milton Keynes found salmonella in a batch of the product, during routine testing. There have been no reported cases of illness associated with this product.
As a precaution, consumers are advised not to purchase or eat any Safeway
ham described as:
Safeway Premium Cut Traditional Cured and Honey Roasted Ham, 100g.
Promotional price 99p, normal price #1.29.
Anyone who has recently bought or received any of this ham is advised by Safeway to return it to a Safeway store, where a full refund will be given. As an extra precautionary measure, Hazlewood Foods has advised other companies to whom it supplies similar meat products from this processing site that these products should also be withdrawn from sale. In addition, the Milton Keynes factory has stopped operating. There is currently no evidence of any pathogenic organisms in any other Hazlewood Foods products.
Food Safety Minister Jeff Rooker said today: “The problem may not be widespread, but this producer and Safeway are acting responsibly in taking no risks. We do not yet know the kind of salmonella or the extent of the problem. But we do know that salmonella infection can cause fever, stomach discomfort and rashes. Children, elderly people, and those with an underlying medical condition are especially vulnerable. All concerned are working closely with the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group which will form the core of the new Food Standards Agency to investigate further. The JFSSG will keep the public informed."