The proprietor of a dairy firm in Switzerland faces legal prices over a lethal Listeria outbreak.
The Schwyz prosecutor's workplace introduced this week that it had concluded the legal investigation opened in August 2020 in opposition to the proprietor of a cheese manufacturing facility. The enterprise proprietor closed Käserei Vogel in 2020.
Expenses had been filed in 20 instances, together with negligent murder, negligent bodily harm and violation of the Upkeep Legislation. In 10 instances, the case was dismissed as a result of the Listeria an infection didn’t trigger well being issues or as a result of the victims or their relations had not filed a legal criticism. In 4 instances the non-public knowledge of these affected was unknown.
The prosecutor believes that the corporate didn’t adequately adjust to its duties for controlling meals laws. He has requested a conditional jail sentence and a wonderful for the businessman. A trial date has not but been set.
Background of the incident
The multi-year Listeria outbreak in Switzerland killed 10 folks and was linked to pasteurized cheese merchandise. The outbreak additionally resulted in 34 laboratory-confirmed instances. The outcomes of an investigation implicated the Käserei Vogel dairy.
In 2018, the Swiss Federal Workplace of Public Well being opened an investigation after instances of listeriosis elevated. Nevertheless, officers had been unable to establish any suspicious meals and the automobile of an infection remained unknown.
Early 2020 noticed one other surge in infections. In April 2020, Käserei Vogel knowledgeable the cantonal laboratory that she had detected Listeria monocytogenes in a pattern of sentimental brie cheese constituted of pasteurized milk. Complete genome sequencing revealed that the cheese isolate matched the outbreak pressure.
Environmental sampling on the Käserei Vogel manufacturing web site discovered Listeria monocytogenes in 11 of 50 samples, and 5 sequenced isolates matched the outbreak pressure. Officers discovered sanitary deficiencies and chronic environmental contamination all through the manufacturing web site.
In Could 2020, 26 merchandise, together with brie, sheep and goat cheese, and natural cheeses, had been recalled and manufacturing stopped. The Federal Meals Security and Veterinary Workplace (FSVO) issued a public warning that very same month warning folks to not eat the affected merchandise.
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