'I was hospitalised after eating pork scratchings'

A woman has said she has "never been so ill in my life" after contracting salmonella from a packet of contaminated pork scratchings.

Ruanda Davis, 64 and from Cardiff, said she was severely ill with violent gastric symptoms after consuming the Mr Porky products made at the Tayto Group Ltd's factory in Bolton, Greater Manchester.

Law firm Irwin Mitchell has secured an out of court settlement for Davis and a number of the other 179 people reported to have been affected by the food poisoning outbreak. The company has denied liability.

The Tayto Group Ltd has been fined in a separate criminal prosecution brought by Bolton Council.

Tayto Group had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of placing unsafe food on the market and failing to protect food for human consumption from contamination.She said that even after coming home she "wasn't the same".

Mr Porky products were recalled in September 2021 and Irwin Mitchell represented some of the 179 people reported to have experienced vomiting, diarrhoea and fever after consuming them, with a number admitted to hospital.

Davis said she was left vomiting and severely ill within hours of eating the pork scratchings in June 2021.

Her other symptoms of diarrhoea and abnormal bowel function continued for nearly a year after her discharge from hospital, she said.

Davis, who cannot work due to a mobility condition, said she suffered violent gastric symptoms and, because of her disability and impaired movement, struggled to cope.

She said the experience had "changed my life" and she has now called on food manufacturers to ensure the highest hygiene standards are upheld.

"The night I fell ill was terrifying - I was alone, struggling to get out of bed because of my disability, and ended up injuring myself, which is how my daughter found me before being rushed to hospital," she said.

She said that even after coming home she "wasn't the same".

Her health and confidence had suffered, adding: "Even now, years on from my ordeal, I'm still a lot more careful about what I eat.

"I wouldn't want anyone else to have gone through what I have."

Irwin Mitchell secured a collective out of court settlement of more than £300,000 in a group action brought against Tayto Group Ltd.

Speaking after the criminal prosecution hearing, Nadhia Akthar, a public health lawyer from Irwin Mitchell, said the case highlighted "the devastating impact that contaminated food can have on individuals and families".

"Bacterial illnesses such as salmonella can often lead to ongoing and long-lasting health problems, and even death," she added.

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