The Centre for Food Safety advises people to avoid a batch of Queso Fresco, Fresh Cheese possibly contaminated with Listeria. The centre has asked the trade to stop selling the product.

The alert follows an announcement by US authorities that Listeria was found in a sample of the product. Made by the Peregrina Cheese Corporation, New York, the cheese is sold in a foil-wrapped 14-oz net weight package carrying the code 3973.

Listeria symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea. Healthy people rarely develop symptoms. However, the effect on pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and people with lowered immunity can be severe, and could include miscarriage and meningitis.