Alert over health risks from imported mushrooms goes out from Horsham Council

There have been reports of people suffering from listeriosis after eating Enoki mushrooms imported from various regions around the world.

A council spokesperson said: “Sometimes also labelled as Enokitake, they are tall white, thin-stemmed mushrooms which are often used in East Asian cuisine.

"Currently, the affected mushrooms imported from China, South Korea, Thailand, and other East and Southeast Asian countries are being closely examined due to finding high levels of the bacteria listeria monocytogenes and are believed to have already caused outbreaks of the serious illness in the USA and Canada.

“Although no cases linked to the mushrooms have currently been identified in the UK, the bacteria have been detected on them during enhanced sampling at border control ports.”

Horsham Council cabinet member for environmental health Jay Mercer said: “We are reminding our residents and catering establishments of the importance of hygienic handling of raw Enoki mushrooms to prevent the spread of listeria to other products or surfaces.

"These ingredients should be stored in a refrigerator at below five degrees Celsius, as well as being thoroughly cooked before consumption unless any labelling clearly states that they are a ready-to-eat product.”

Further advice from the Food Standards Agency can be found at https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/advice-on-listeria-monocytogenes-in-imported-enoki-mushrooms.

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Listeriosis is a disease that can cause illness in most people but is of particular concern to vulnerable groups such as pregnant women or immunocompromised individuals. Listeriosis can pose serious health risks, and these risks increase with age.