The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have jointly issued a cautionary advisory, particularly aimed at vulnerable consumers, concerning the need to thoroughly cook enoki mushrooms due to the inherent risk of Listeria contamination.
The decision to issue this warning was supported by a comprehensive analysis of FSA and local authority sampling data. This analysis revealed that 13 out of 40 samples of enoki mushrooms tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, and in some instances, the contamination levels were notably high. The affected enoki mushrooms were traced back to imports from various Asian countries, including China, South Korea, and Thailand.
Enoki mushrooms, which can also be found under labels such as Enokitake, Golden Needle, or Lily Mushrooms, are easily recognizable by their tall, slender, white stems. They are a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine and are usually cooked. However, it’s important to note that they can occasionally be served raw in salads.
One of the concerns highlighted by the FSA and FSS is the lack of clear English labeling indicating the necessity to cook the product before consumption and not to consume it in its raw form.
As of now, there haven’t been any reported cases of listeriosis associated with the consumption of Enoki mushrooms in the UK. Nevertheless, they have been linked to outbreaks and illnesses in other countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an outbreak between October 2022 and February 2023, which affected five people across four states, all of whom required hospitalization. Additionally, a previous outbreak from 2016 to 2020 impacted 48 individuals, with 36 cases in the United States and 12 in Canada, resulting in four fatalities. Health officials in Australia also investigated six cases of listeriosis with clinical isolates related to the same outbreak strain, with illness onset dates spanning from 2017 to 2020. The joint warning by the FSA and FSS serves as a preventative measure to safeguard public health and prevent potential Listeria-related illnesses in the UK.
