Foul sausages at store outlets

Two batches of sausages sold at outlets of Carrefour and Metro supermarkets were found to contain a bacteria that could cause food poisoning, the city's food watchdog said yesterday. 

The sausages were available at the Zhongshan Park outlet of Carrefour, and the Jiading outlet of Metro, according to the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration.

The China Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about the bacteria — Listeria monocytogenes — in July last year, saying it posed a major risk to food safety.

Listeria monocytogenes can lead to meningitis, sepsis, endocarditis and miscarriage if humans eat contaminated food, with 30 percent of clinical infections resulting in death, the administration had warned.

Pregnant women, children, the elderly and those with a weak immune system are particularly vulnerable, it said.

The Shanghai administration said the sausages had been taken off shelves and an investigation is under way.