Listeria meat firm knew its products were infected, months before outbreak

THE Seville-based company Magrudis knew that its products were contaminated months before it caused the largest outbreak ever recorded in the country.

According to sources from Seville City Council and the Ministry of Health, the Laboratorios Microal sounded the alarm on February 18 after samples of the shredded meat product were sent to them for evaluation.

A statement released by the manager of the quality control and research at Microal, Mariano Barroso, of the two samples that were submitted, one came back as positive.

A further test to determine the level of contamination was requested by the laboratory but the food manufacturer refused to agree to the tests.

Barrosco went on to clarify that the company did not inform the authorities as “in their line of work it is common to find forms of bacteria. It is the role of the manufacturer to remove the product from its production lines.”

The listeria outbreak that swept Spain is the worst in recorded history, taking hold on August 15 and claiming the lives of three elderly victims and leaving over 200 affected.