Cadbury salmonella victim may take legal action

An Antrim woman who was in hospital for five days with suspected salmonella poisoning after eating a Cadbury's chocolate bar is considering legal action against the firm.

Lawyers for Catherine Henderson (62) from Larne said they were investigating the possibility of taking the Birmingham-based company to court after tests showed she had been struck down by the same rare strain of salmonella found in its chocolate.

Cadbury recalled more than a million chocolate bars across seven product lines last month after a leaking pipe at its Herefordshire factory caused salmonella contamination.

In a statement, Mrs Henderson's solicitors said she was rushed to hospital after having trouble breathing and was kept in an isolation ward for five days where she was connected to a drip and given antibiotics.

Mrs Henderson, who said she had eaten a Cadbury's caramel bar, said: "I couldn't believe what was happening to me.

"All of a sudden my legs went weak and I started finding it hard to breathe. My heart was racing and slowing down as if it was going to stop."

She was told by environmental health officials that her tests showed the presence of Salmonella Montevideo.

Lawyers said the Health Protection Agency had so far identified 31 people who had been infected with this strain of salmonella - which can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, chills and headaches - and that one adult, one child and one infant had been admitted to hospital with the infection.

Sallie Booth, from law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: "This type of bug is extremely dangerous, especially to the most vulnerable in society - the very young and the very old.

"As chocolate is targeted mainly at children, the measures taken by Cadbury's should have been ultra-rigorous.

"We would encourage anyone who has been to see their GP or has been hospitalised with this strain of salmonella after consuming Cadbury's products to get in touch as soon as possible," Ms Booth added.

Cadbury first discovered salmonella in some products, which were destroyed, in April 2002.