'Do not eat' warning issued for popular ready meals

People are being urgently advised not to consume a popular brand of ready meals. The meals, produced by Ballymaguire Foods in Northern Ireland, have been recalled in the country amid concerns about contamination with the harmful bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed a recall of the Good Food Locally Sourced Freshly Prepared Bacon and Cabbage Dinner in 600g packs. All batch codes are included in the recall, with use-by dates of June 30, July 3, July 5, and July 7 2025.

Ballymaguire Foods has issued a second recall affecting multiple variants of Turkey and Ham Dinner: the Good Food Turkey and Ham Dinner, SuperValu Turkey and Ham Dinner, and Centra Turkey and Ham Dinner affecting all pack sizes, all batch codes, and all use-by dates. The two recalls, which were last updated by the FSA on July 19, are due to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis, an infection that may start with flu-like symptoms such as high fever, muscle aches, chills, nausea, and diarrhoea.

The FSA risk statement reads: "Symptoms caused by Listeria monocytogenes can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea.

"However, in rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis.

"Some people are more vulnerable to listeria infections, including those over 65 years of age, pregnant women and their unborn babies, babies less than one month old and people with weakened immune systems."

The FSA's advice to customers also reads: "If you have bought the above product, do not eat it. Instead, return the product to where it was bought for a full refund."

Supermarkets selling these meals have been instructed to display point-of-sale notices, explaining the reason for the recall and the steps customers should take.

Ballymaguire Foods is a familyowned food production company based in Lusk, North County Dublin, founded in 2008 as a sister company to Country Crest.

Over the years, the company has grown to become Ireland's largest producer of ready meals supplied under retailers' private label which include Good Food, SuperValu, and Centra.

The company has won several industry awards, including the prestigious Great Taste Awards, Blas na hÉireann, Irish Quality Food Awards, and Fingal Chamber Business Excellence Awards, recognitions that have been given to its own-label lines across retailers including Musgrave brands and Tesco.

The recall is specific to Northern Ireland only.