Shoppers could be at risk from deadly bugs due to confusing labelling on supermarket frozen veg
The Sun found some packets of frozen veggies from Asda, Morrisons, Lidl and Iceland didn't contain explicit warnings about not eating raw
CONFUSING instructions on supermarket frozen veggie packets could be putting shoppers at risk of life-threatening bugs, a Sun investigation has found.
Last week, British supermarkets had to recall 43 sweetcorn-based frozen vegetable products over fears they could contain listeria bacteria after an outbreak of infections across Europe which killed nine people.
The bugs can cause listeriosis, an illness with flu-like symptoms which can be fatal in the elderly, young children or pregnant women.
Health and safety experts warn that veg - like green beans, broccoli and sweetcorn - should be boiled or microwaved from frozen to kill the potentially-deadly bacteria.
It should not be simply defrosted and eaten cold.
But despite the problems, not all British supermarkets put clear warnings on their frozen veg.
The Sun analysed 71 packs of frozen veg which could be eaten raw - including green beans, broccoli florets, baby carrots, petit pois and sweetcorn - from Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrison’s, Iceland, Aldi and Lidl.
We found fewer than a third of packets - and only those sold by Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Aldi - carried an explicit “do not eat raw” warning.
Around half of packets had instructions telling buyers they “should” or “must” cook the product from frozen, but the others only contained cooking instructions which implied it was best to cook the veg.
Nearly three quarters of the packs did state that food should be “piping hot” before it was served.
Health and safety consultant Sarah Daniels, of the RedCat Partnership consultancy, said it was only ever safe to defrost frozen vegetables and eat them raw if the packet explicitly stated they were “ready to eat from defrost” without cooking.
She said: “The key is how the vegetables are processed after picking.
“Some vegetables are blanched before being frozen, to stop enzyme & bacterial growth, but most are frozen raw.
“Veg will be at risk of being contaminated by air-borne particles, water-borne particles and soil-based particles. There are a multitude of viruses and bacteria all around us, we don’t see these but they are there.
Is frozen fruit a risk too?
OUR investigation also looked at 66 frozen fruit products on sale in the same seven supermarkets, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pineapple and mango chunks.
Only one in five stated they were suitable to be used from frozen – meaning the manufacturer had made them safe in the preparation process.
None of the other packets suggested the fruit should be cooked first, but health and safety expert Sarah Daniels warned frozen berries should ideally be cooked before use to avoid potentially deadly infections.
This year there have already been two safety alerts issued in Europe over frozen berries which could carry bacteria causing the liver disease hepatitis A and the sickness bug norovirus.
Last week, 13 people in Sweden were infected with potentially deadly hepatitis A after eating frozen strawberries linked to a Polish company.
The alerts have led to the FSA Ireland warning all frozen berries should be boiled for one minute before using them in smoothies or deserts.
But the FSA in the UK has not issued similar advice and said it had no evidence the affected products were on sale in the UK.
A spokesman said: “Like frozen vegetables, frozen fruit should be prepared according to the instructions provided on the pack.”
“Cooking ensures veg is safe to eat. Each packet will state what needs to be done to ensure safety, so you should always follow the cooking instructions.”
Bacteria is a more common problem in frozen veg than fresh because it is more likely to have been imported and handled by a number of suppliers before reaching customers in the UK, she added.
A spokesperson from Lidl and Iceland told The Sun that they comply with regulations and have clear guidelines on packs.
A spokesperson from Lidl added: "We consider all customer feedback when reviewing and developing our packaging and labelling."
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A spokesperson from Iceland added: "In light of the recent listeria outbreak and in order to be as helpful as possible to our customers, we have recently decided to add the words 'Do not eat raw’ to packs of vegetables that might possibly be defrosted and eaten chilled.
"This is expected to appear on packs from September onwards.”
The Sun has contacted Morrisons and Asda for a comment.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) told the Sun: “Most frozen vegetables, including sweetcorn, will need to be cooked before eating.”
Official FSA advice for adding frozen veg to salads is to cook the vegetables first in at least 70C heat for two minutes or more, as per the packet instructions, then cool it as quickly as possible in a fridge or by plunging it into cold water.
The cooled, cooked veg should be stored in a fridge and eaten within two days.
But a spokesman insisted they “had no reason to believe there was a problem with labelling” on British supermarket frozen veg.
They added: “Not all products are the same and so depending on how they are produced they may not require a warning.
“It is a requirement for food businesses to provide the necessary information in order that the food can be used and consumed safely… [such as] providing advice that food should be cooked for a certain length of time.
“If important safety information is not provided with a food then this would lead to its withdrawal or recall from the market and potentially enforcement action taken against the food business.
“We are working with the industry to ensure that the information provided with frozen food products continues to help consumers make safe and informed choices.”
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