The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) are advising pregnant women and those with a weakened immune system to avoid eating ready-to-eat cold-smoked or cured fish, as they have a higher risk of severe illness from listeriosis.

The FSA and FSS’ joint risk assessment, commissioned in response to reported cases of Listeria monocytogenes linked to ready-to-eat cold smoked fish, found that while the risk of contracting listeriosis in higher-risk individuals from cold-smoked fish is low, the severity of the illness is high.

As the risk of serious illness from listeriosis increases with age, the FSA and FSS are also advising that older people should be aware of the risks associated with eating these products. 

Products included in the FSA’s updated advise include smoked salmon, smoked trout and gravlax. Cold-smoked fish and cured fish have not been fully cooked during the production process to kill any listeria that may be present, and therefore present a higher risk of infection.  

Professor Robin May, FSA chief scientific adviser, said: “Our risk assessment shows that there is still an ongoing risk to health associated with eating cold-smoked fish for specific groups of vulnerable people, including pregnant women and individuals with impaired immunity.  

“If you are in the group of people more at risk of listeria infection, and you decide to consume these products, we strongly recommend that you first cook them until steaming hot all the way through. This will ensure that any listeria present in the product is killed before it is eaten.”