UAE recalls frozen vegetables and fruit linked to listeria outbreak

ASIA- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) will withdraw frozen vegetables and fruit products following a warning issued by the European Union on possible outbreak of listeriosis.

The products were produced by Greenyard Frozen Company, a Belgium-based fresh, frozen and prepared fruit and vegetables firm.

The nine items on the recall list mainly comprised mixed vegetables, “American mix”, and sweet corn.

“The decision underscores the Ministry’s commitment to protecting food safety and safeguarding consumers from adulterated and misbranded foods, in coordination with relevant authorities in the UAE.

“Based on the European notification to us containing a list of the company’s products that have been exported to the UAE, a notification has been issued to the local food control authorities to investigate the products on the list and ensure that UAE markets are free of these contaminated products,” said the Ministry in a statement.

According to MOCCAE food safety director Majd Al Herbawi, the ministry alongside the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority were closely following the updates of the outbreak.

It emphasized that all food products in the UAE, whether locally produced or imported, are safe for consumption, as they are strictly monitored by the Ministry and relevant local authorities.

Early July, the European Union countries issued a warning regarding possible listeria contamination from Greenyard Frozen vegetables and fruit products, which resulted in deaths.

The ministry has urged consumers not to consume any Greenyard Frozen product that is subject to the recall and those who had purchased these products to return them to the store or to get rid of them.

Supermarkets recall

After listeria outbreak in Europe claimed to have killed nine people, Waitrose and Spinneys both pulled Waitrose Essential mixed vegetable bags from its freezers.

Aldi, Lidl, Iceland, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose had earlier recalled frozen vegetables due to the risk of Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

South Africa’s Woolworths recalls frozen savory rice product as a precautionary measure saying its product was sourced from Belgium and contained frozen sweetcorn from the Greenyard Factory.