Staff possible cause of listeria, says owner

The owner of a meat company whose products are at the centre of a North Island listeria scare says a staff member could have introduced the disease to the factory.

Leonard's Superior Smallgoods manager and co-owner Richard Kornman yesterday told the Herald it was possible a staff member had failed to follow hygiene procedures in the company's "high care" area, where the packaged, cold meats were sliced.

"We have staff in that area who we feel are well trained, and doing a very, very good job ... but there has been a failure in procedure."

Staff working in the area wear protective clothing - including smocks - that must be removed before they leave, but it was possible a staff member had failed to remove all safety clothing before leaving the area on a break, he said.

Auckland Regional Public Health Service is investigating the contamination, but clinical director Julia Peters last night refused to speculate on the cause of the contamination.

"This is a big investigation, it needs to be done thoroughly. There are many ways the contamination may occur."

Packages of cold corned silverside were sent to some 18 businesses - including cafes and hospitals - only to be recalled after testing for listeria returned positive.

The corned-beef contamination comes the week after Leonard's recalled roast beef that also tested positive for the bug.

Mr Kornman yesterday said the area of contamination was likely to be smaller, as transport costs meant Leonard's did not regularly freight goods below Taupo.

He also defended a decision not to name the companies to which Leonard's supplied the potentially contaminated products.

To do so could unfairly taint the reputations of the businesses, by associating them with news that was "not particularly positive".

Dr Peters said the service was working with Leonard's to find the source of the contamination, in an investigation that involved "intensive" sampling of factory machinery and labour practices "including the clothing exchange and all those things". Results were likely to be weeks away.