**Urgent Health Warning Issued Over Chicken Products Due to Listeria Risk**
Customers across the UK are being urged to check their fridges following an urgent food recall impacting popular SPAR-branded chicken products. This comes after the Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued a public health alert, warning that certain ready-to-eat chicken items sold by the convenience chain could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes – a bacterium known to pose significant risks, especially to vulnerable individuals.
According to the FSA, routine testing of various SPAR chicken products led to the detection of Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause illness in humans. While healthy people might experience only mild symptoms, such as sickness and diarrhoea, the consequences for pregnant women, the elderly, newborns, and people with compromised immune systems can be much more severe.
The specific chicken lines implicated in this recall include: SPAR Enjoy Local Cooked Chicken Pieces, SPAR Enjoy Local Cooked Chicken Slices, and SPAR Enjoy Local Cooked Chicken Fillets. These items, usually consumed cold or used in salads and sandwiches, are widely stocked in SPAR stores. All customers are advised not to eat these products under any circumstances.
Official guidance from the FSA sets out the potential symptoms, which may resemble the flu: high temperature, muscle aches, chills, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. Of particular concern, though less common, is the risk of life-threatening complications like meningitis, especially for higher-risk groups. Authorities are keen to emphasise that while Listeria infections are rare, they carry heightened risks in some populations, and swift action could prevent further cases.
SPAR has responded by immediately removing the affected products from its shelves. Clear notices are being displayed in all SPAR stores where the chicken lines were sold, outlining the recall steps and providing information to assist concerned customers. Anyone who finds the affected items in their possession is asked not to consume them. Instead, products should be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund, with or without a receipt.
Customers requiring further advice are invited to contact SPAR Customer Services at 0289 034 2733, where staff can offer reassurance and guidance on how to safely deal with the recalled items. The FSA has highlighted that this recall is part of a robust national framework designed to protect public health by quickly identifying potentially unsafe food and removing it from sale.
Recall notices form an important part of the UK’s food safety system. According to the FSA, products may be ‘withdrawn’—meaning they are taken off shelves before customers can buy them—or ‘recalled’, which involves asking anyone who has purchased the items to return them. In this case, both measures are in force to ensure no more at-risk products are consumed.
The incident serves as a timely reminder to all food producers and retailers regarding the constant vigilance required within the food supply chain. As foodborne illnesses like listeriosis remain a danger—albeit rare—such measures demonstrate the importance of stringent food safety testing and transparency with the public.
As with all recalls, health authorities recommend consumers regularly check for updates on affected products and to pay close attention to recall notices, particularly if buying ready-to-eat meat or dairy items. Insight from the FSA can be accessed on their official website, where ongoing guidance and detailed recall notices are published for public review.
The Food Standards Agency, alongside SPAR, continues to monitor the situation and stresses the importance of not ignoring food recall messages. Public cooperation, such as checking existing food stocks at home, is key in ensuring the effectiveness of these safety measures and protecting the most vulnerable members of society from potential harm.