As a result of the recall in December, Pestell’s have stopped producing and selling ready-to-eat ham products. In October, routine testing by Pak ’n Save Blenheim found listeria in some packaged meat products, with the affected products being recalled.
Derek Flynn/Stuff
The first sign of the listeria contamination was found after routine testing at a Pak ‘n Save in Blenheim. It was identified after genome testing, that the listeria found as a result of the testing, had the same sequencing as the listeria found in Pestell’s products. New Zealand Food Safety food compliance services national manager Melinda Sando said after finding the contaminated products at the supermarket, investigators went to Pestell’s to take samples from their processing environments and their products.