Waitrose issues recall as contamination linked to meningitis

The Food Standards Agency has issued a ‘do not eat’ alert

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Waitrose has recalled packs of black olives after it found they contained traces of listeria. The food chain found listeria monocytogenes in 120g packs of Waitrose Essential Pitted Black Olives with a use by date of September 13 2026, September 18 2026 and September 27 2026.

Customers who bought these packs are urged not to eat them and return them to a Waitrose store where they will be fully refunded.

The Food Standards Agency said symptoms caused by listeria can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea. In rare cases the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis.

Sainsbury’s previously issued a product recall for packets of pitted black olives over fears they may be contaminated with Listeria.

The recall covered 120g packs of ‘Inspired to Cook by Sainsbury’s Pitted Black Olives’ The recall was for packs with ‘use by’ dates of September 6, 7 and 10 2026.

Sainsbury’s said: “Sainsbury’s are recalling the 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.

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.