The Good Food Chain goes under after listeria outbreak investigation
Food supplier the Good Food Chain has gone into liquidation, causing 125 job losses, after production was suspended for weeks due to a listeria outbreak investigation.
Five people were suspected to have died after eating pre-packaged sandwiches and salads produced by the Staffordshire-based company.
The Food Standards Agency had confirmed on Wednesday that the firm was not the source of the outbreak.
But The Good Food Chain said today that it was to stop trading permanently as production had been voluntarily suspended since June 5, proving to have a huge impact on the company.
The Good Food Chain products, provided to hospitals across the UK, had been withdrawn while the source of the infection was investigated.
Good Food Chain owner and founder Martyn Corfield said:
Listeria infection is rare, causing mild illness like the flu, but can be dangerous for pregnant women and babies.
Mild symptoms include a high temperature of 38C or above, aches and pains, chills, feeling sick or vomiting, diarrhoea.
The time between exposure to the organism and the development of the illness can be up to 70 days.
Occasionally, however, a more serious infection develops and spreads to the bloodstream or brain.