Käserei Gloggnitz CEO Faces Prison Term Amid Listeria Outbreak Tragedy
Source: The DairyNews
In a significant legal development, the chief executive of Käserei Gloggnitz, the dairy company responsible for a Listeria outbreak in Austria, has been sentenced to 13 months in prison. The 39-year-old executive, who faced multiple charges related to the outbreak, has denied the allegations, and the verdict is reportedly not yet final, according to media reports.
The Listeria outbreak, spanning fr om 2020 to 2022, resulted in ten cases and claimed at least three lives. The dire consequences of the outbreak led to financial challenges for Käserei Gloggnitz in 2022, prompting insolvency proceedings and ultimately the closure of the plant in 2023.
Further allegations against the CEO will be addressed in mid-March at the Regional Court of Wiener Neustadt, wh ere additional witnesses will also be questioned.
Background of the Incident:
In a January 2023 audit, DG Sante scrutinized records of the dairy plant linked to the outbreak. Käserei Gloggnitz had a troubled compliance history, with a 2020 inspection revealing several significant deficiencies. A subsequent inspection in 2021 raised equally serious concerns.
However, these findings did not trigger increased inspection frequency or enforcement measures until an epidemiological link between infections and the company was established in autumn 2022, leading authorities to order a halt in production.
The affected patients included six women and three men aged between 29 and 82, as well as a newborn baby, with illnesses reported in Vienna, according to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES).
In response to the potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination, Käserei Gloggnitz initiated a recall of all kajmak, drinking yogurt, and cream cheese products in September 2022. Kajmak is a type of cheese.
Environmental samples from the company's Lower Austria facility revealed Listeria matching the outbreak strain, and the same strain was detected in the products it manufactured. The revelation prompted immediate actions to address the contamination issue.
Further allegations against the CEO will be addressed in mid-March at the Regional Court of Wiener Neustadt, wh ere additional witnesses will also be questioned.
Background of the Incident:
In a January 2023 audit, DG Sante scrutinized records of the dairy plant linked to the outbreak. Käserei Gloggnitz had a troubled compliance history, with a 2020 inspection revealing several significant deficiencies. A subsequent inspection in 2021 raised equally serious concerns.
However, these findings did not trigger increased inspection frequency or enforcement measures until an epidemiological link between infections and the company was established in autumn 2022, leading authorities to order a halt in production.
The affected patients included six women and three men aged between 29 and 82, as well as a newborn baby, with illnesses reported in Vienna, according to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES).
In response to the potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination, Käserei Gloggnitz initiated a recall of all kajmak, drinking yogurt, and cream cheese products in September 2022. Kajmak is a type of cheese.
Environmental samples from the company's Lower Austria facility revealed Listeria matching the outbreak strain, and the same strain was detected in the products it manufactured. The revelation prompted immediate actions to address the contamination issue.
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