FSA to speak on Premier Foods botulism case

The FSA told FoodManufacture.co.uk that an announcement would be made at the next board meeting, which takes place tomorrow (January 24). It repeated that all parts of the food chain remained part of the investigations.

A spokesman for the FSA, added: “The practical side of the investigations have concluded and the outbreak control team are now looking at the findings.​

“Technically, Premier’s factory has not been given the all clear. All parts of the food chain are still being investigated. The results of which will be announced in due course​.”

Premier Foods was hit by the incident in November last year, when the firm was forced to recall a batch of 350g jars of Loyd Grossman Korma sauce after three children from the same family contracted botulism from the product.

Mystery​

The children have now returned home after spells in hospital but the mystery still remains as to how the single jar of the sauce became contaminated.

Last month, scientists described the incident as a “complete mystery​” and confirmed that contamination could have occurred at any stage of the supply chain.

One expert, who did not want to be named, told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “What has clearly happened is clostridium botulinum has found its way into the sauce and the family has unfortunately consumed it. The question is: how and when did it get in there?” ​

“The fact that it is only one jar that was contaminated makes it very difficult to pin-point where it may have occurred.”​

A spokesman for Premier Foods declined to comment further on the incident and said it was a matter for the FSA.