New Zealand Food Safety is sharing some simple guidance to prevent people getting a rare but life-threatening foodborne illness.

“Although listeriosis is rare in New Zealand, vulnerable people die of this preventable disease every year, so we want to share some practical steps people can take at home to avoid getting sick,” said New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

Listeriosis is caused by eating or drinking food that has high levels of Listeria, a bacterium that is widespread in the environment.

Arbuckle said Listeria was invisible, had no odour and, unlike most bacteria, could continue to grow when food is refrigerated.

“The most recent annual report concerning Foodborne Diseases in New Zealand shows that there was a single death from Listeria in 2024, down from six in 2022 and seven in 2023.

“But even one death is one too many, so that’s why we are continuing our efforts to get those most at risk – pregnant women and older people – to better understand the dangers of listeriosis and what to do to decrease them.”

Infections in healthy adults are unlikely to be severe, but listeriosis during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, premature labour, stillbirth, or disease in the newborn baby, Arbuckle said.

As people age – particularly for those 65-plus – the immune system gets weaker. This means foods you safely ate in the past may no longer be safe for you to eat, Arbuckle said.

“Some people may not be aware of this. So, we’re highlighting higher-risk foods while sharing some food-safety advice on how to make them safe to eat.”

Higher-risk foods included ready-to-eat meat products (like deli meats and pâtés), smoked seafood (especially cold-smoked fish), soft cheeses (like brie, camembert, and paneer), unpasteurised dairy products (like raw milk and cheese), and leafy greens and bagged salad (like mesclun and spinach).

A fuller list of at-risk foods is at: www.mpi.govt.nz/food-safety-home/food-poisoning-symptoms-causes/listeria-infection-symptoms-advice

To lower the risk of getting listeriosis, people could choose safer foods, heat food to piping hot (above 75C) before eating, wash and dry raw fruit and vegetables thoroughly first before eating, only eat recently-prepared food, refrigerate leftovers quickly and avoid eating leftovers that won’t be reheated.

To find out more see: www.mpi.govt.nz/news/media-releases/keep-yourself-family-and-friends-safe-from-life-threatening-listeriosis