A batch of dips from the United States has been withdrawn from the Panamanian market by The Food Safety Authority (Aupsa)  following an alert from the Food and Drug Administration of the United States (US FDA), pointing out the detection of the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes causing Listeriosis.

. The highly consumed dips in Panama consist of cream of chickpea puree cooked with lemon juice and including ground sesame seed paste, salt, olive oil as well as other ingredients such as garlic or paprika.

As a preventive measure, in this action, the officials of the food safety entity focused its range of action on the cream identified as Lantana Roasted Garlic

The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes especially attacks pregnant women, newborns, elderly and immunocompromised adults, including those affected by AIDS and  can generate problems from meningitis and/or encephalitis to abortions or neonatal infections, and septicemias.