Lidl has issued an urgent recall of several smoked salmon and smoked trout products just days before Christmas, following a fatal Listeria outbreak linked to Scottish producer St James Smokehouse.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) confirmed that 15 patients have fallen ill since October 2020, with three elderly individuals dying as a result of the infection.
The affected items include Lidl Deluxe Oak Smoked Scottish Loch Trout, Lighthouse Bay Smoked Trout Trimmings, and three varieties of smoked salmon: Deluxe Mild & Delicate Smoked Scottish Salmon, Deluxe Smoked Scottish Salmon with Ben Bracken Whisky, and Lighthouse Bay Smoked Scottish Salmon Trimmings.
The FSA said symptoms of listeriosis can resemble flu, with fever, muscle aches, chills, and diarrhoea, but severe complications such as meningitis may occur. Vulnerable groups—those over 65, pregnant women, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems—are at higher risk.
Lidl has placed point-of-sale notices in stores and is offering full refunds for returned products. Listeria is less common than salmonella or E. coli but kills one in five people who contract the invasive form.
