Sainsbury's has issued a product recall for a snack that could be contaminated with food poisoning linked to meningitis. The supermarket is recalling packets of pitted black olives over fears they may be contaminated with Listeria.
The recall covers 120g packs of 'Inspired to Cook by Sainsbury's Pitted Black Olives' with a 'do not eat' warning issued by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA said the snack is being recalled 'because Listeria monocytogenes has been found'.
Warning from the FSA
The FSA added: "Symptoms caused by Listeria monocytogenes can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea. However, in rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis."
"Some people are more vulnerable to Listeria infections, including those over 65 years of age, pregnant women and their unborn babies, babies less than one month old and people with weakened immune systems."
The recall is for packs with 'use by' dates of September 6, 7 and 10 2026.
Refund for affected customers
Sainsbury's said: "Sainsbury's are recalling the above product due to a possible presence of Listeria Monocytogenes. We are asking customers that have purchased the above product not to consume it and to return the product to their nearest Sainsbury's store, where they will receive a full refund."
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that causes a serious foodborne infection known as listeriosis. Unlike many other food-related bacteria, Listeria is exceptionally resilient. It can survive, and even multiply, in cold environments like refrigerators, and it easily resists salt and acidic conditions.
How Listeria leads to meningitis
People typically contract it by consuming contaminated food, such as unpasteurised dairy products, soft cheeses, deli meats, hot dogs, and improperly washed raw produce. In healthy individuals, the immune system usually confines the infection to the gut, resulting in mild, temporary digestive upset.
However, Listeria has a dangerous ability to breach internal cellular barriers. If it penetrates the intestinal wall, it enters the bloodstream and can cross the blood-brain barrier. This is the protective shield meant to keep toxins and pathogens out of the central nervous system.
When Listeria crosses this barrier, it targets the meninges, which are the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The resulting infection and intense inflammation of these membranes is called bacterial meningitis.
This progression into listerial meningitis is highly dangerous and primarily affects individuals with weakened immune systems. This vulnerable group includes newborns, elderly adults, and people taking immunosuppressive medications.
Pregnant women are also at an incredibly high risk because Listeria can easily cross the placental barrier, leading to severe complications or neonatal meningitis immediately after birth. Listerial meningitis is treated with high-dose intravenous antibiotics, typically ampicillin, and carries a much higher mortality rate than most other common forms of bacterial meningitis.
