Melbourne catering company shuts after Listeriosis death
A catering company in Melbourne's south-east has been temporarily closed by Victorian health authorities after its food was linked to the listeriosis death of a woman in her 80s.
The supplies food to Meals on Wheels, aged care facilities and a number of hospitals in Melbourne's eastern and south-eastern suburbs.
Acting chief health officer Brett Sutton ordered the closure of the iCook Foods kitchens following an investigation into the death of the woman at Knox Private Hospital due to listeriosis in early February.
"In the course of investigating that illness we understand that she's consumed a number of high-risk foods … but they've also been traced back, potentially, to iCook Foods," said Sutton.
A number of positive listeria samples collected from the company's kitchen during the investigation, with the kitchens to be closed for one to two weeks while improvements to food handling processes were made and further tests were done.
"I understand that it's been deeply disruptive to Meals on Wheels, aged care facilities, and a number of private hospitals in the eastern suburbs and south-east," he said.
"But I've acted as I want to have an absolute assurance that no contaminated food would be supplied to these places, which after all have a number of vulnerable individuals who are there."
The 30-year old family business said it would assist the authorities in every way possible.
In a statement, healthcare provider Healthscope confirmed a number of its hospitals had received food deliveries from iCook Foods including Melbourne Private Hospital; Knox Private Hospital; Frankston Private Hospital; Holmesglen Private Hospital; and North Park Private Hospital.
A Healthscope spokesperson said independent living services at Ivanhoe and Clayton South were also supplied by the company and alternative catering had been arranged.
Sheridan Randall, 27th February 2019
