The company behind a deadly Listeria outbreak in the Republic of Ireland has resumed production.
Ballymaguire Foods said it had received approval from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to restart operations. Products will return to retail shelves beginning Aug. 12.
The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) reported nine confirmed cases of listeriosis and one death related to food from the company. No demographic details about patients have been released.
Official approval to resume production came after a review into the detection of Listeria at one production plant. Corrective actions included a pharmaceutical-grade clean-down of the site.
Ballymaguire Foods’ County Dublin site was served two prohibition orders from HSE, one in July and the other in June.
According to the June report, food sampling results submitted by Ballymaguire Foods indicated the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in the pre-packaged bacon and cabbage dinner, making it unfit for human consumption.
Recalls of prepared meals and side dishes produced by Ballymaguire Foods were undertaken in June and July. Various brands were affected and products were sold at Tesco, Supervalu, Centra and Aldi stores.
External support
Ballymaguire Foods appointed Professor Patrick Wall, a public health expert and former Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) chief executive, to lead the response to the incident.
“Listeria is a naturally occurring, complex, and challenging bacteria that, while rare, requires close attention and strong controls in food environments. Managing it is not just about routine hygiene – it requires a deep understanding of how it behaves and an unrelenting attention to detail,” he said.
Wall said in response to the incident, Ballymaguire Foods has implemented protocols that go beyond best practice.
“The actions taken are backed by substantial investment and reflect a renewed focus on precision, accountability, and continuous improvement throughout the organization. The decision to grant approval for production to resume reflects the authorities’ confidence in the steps taken.”
Edward Spellman, co-founder and managing director at Ballymaguire Foods, said: “Food safety has always been central to who we are. This experience has challenged us to go even further – to enhance our systems, deepen our expertise, and apply new industry-leading standards. We acknowledge the concern this situation has caused. We are resolute in our commitment to learn from it and to strengthening the trust placed in us by our partners, customers, and consumers.”
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