Camembert withdrawn from Asda, Sainsbury's and Co-op over Listeria fears

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Asda, Sainsbury's and the Co-op have withdrawn camembert cheese from their shelves over fears it is contaminated with Listeria.

Listeria has been linked to miscarriage and can cause foodborne illnesses, particularly in the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems.

Asda has recalled its Extra Special Camembert de Pays, Sainsbury's its Taste the Difference Camembert and the Co-op its Truly Irresistible Camembert following the discovery of low levels of Listeria monocytogenes.

All three supermarkets get their camembert from the same manufacturer in France.

The UK has seen a rise in the number of cases of Listeria in recent years.

Listeria can live and grow in food - particularly chilled foods such as pâté, smoked fish, cooked slice meats and soft cheese made with raw, unpasteurised milk.

Unlike other bacteria responsible for food poisoning, symptoms from Listeria can take up to eight weeks to appear.

The recalls were made public by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), who said: "Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause foodborne illness, particularly among vulnerable groups – these are pregnant women, unborn and newborn babies, those over 60 years old and anyone with a weakened immune system."