A popular meal kit provider has issued a warning to hundreds of customers that their salads could be contaminated with listeria bacteria.
On Monday, HelloFresh sent alarming texts to Western Australian customers who received the pre-portioned ingredients.
A listeria infection - listeriosis - rarely affects healthy people, but can be fatal to unborn or newborn babies and people with weakened immune systems.
The text said a supplier notified the company of a food health safety issue in the mixed salad or baby spinach earlier on Monday.
It added that the greens can be harmful if consumed and urged customers to please discard the product.
If you have already consumed this recipe and are concerned, please contact us or seek medical advice, the text reads.
Customers were given $5 of credit per bag of spinach or salad for future orders.
A HelloFresh spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the safety and quality of our ingredients is our highest priority.
International meal-kit provider HelloFresh has issued an urgent warning to WA customers after packages of spinach and mixed greens could have been contaminated with Listeria bacteria
The spokesperson confirmed the contaminated batch only impacted Western Australia and that other ingredients were safe for consumption.
We immediately informed all of our WA customers who received recipes including Mixed Salad or Baby Spinach from September 5, 2024 through September 8, 2024 and asked them to immediately dispose of the ingredient, the spokesperson said.
Customer Nick Mitchell told Perth Now he was worried sick after he received the alarming text this week.
The Perth dad immediately rang the HelloFresh for answers and was told listeria may have been the contamination.
The alarm was raised after a supplier notified HelloFresh of a food health safety issue in the mixed salad or baby spinach (stock image)
The issue spread to Reddit where users said they also received the alert from HelloFresh.
Got the same email but after I had already eaten it, one wrote, adding their gut is not happy.
The user later reported experiencing rotten egg burps and had vomited a few times - symptoms of food poisoning not specific to listeriosis.
Listeria bacteria is found in soil, water and animal feces, and can survive refrigeration and freezing.
Despite being a particularly rare foodborne infection, advanced cases of listeriosis have a high mortality rate between 20 and 30 per cent.
Listeria bacteria (pictured) can cause listeriosis, a rare infection that has a 30 per cent mortality rate if it spreads to the nervous system
The first signs of infection can take longer than 30 days after consumption to appear.
Common symptoms include fevers, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
However, the bacteria can spread to the nervous system where it becomes much more dangerous and can cause headaches, a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.
About a third of patients who reach this stage die, according to NSW Health.
Pregnant women and the foetus, newborns, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems - such as those with HIV or cancer patients - are of particular risk.
Despite notifying customers of a recall, an alert is yet to be released by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand or on HelloFreshs social media accounts.
Health professionals are required to urgently report a suspected listeriosis diagnosis to WA Health, which is yet to release an alert of any cases.