The story that a pensioner who fell ill from salmonella is threatening to sue Cadbury Schweppes has received much media attention in the UK, but Cadbury has emphasised that a link has yet to be established between any case of salmonella and the company’s chocolates.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more


Catherine Henderson, 62, from Larne, Co Antrim, spent five days in hospital after she was infected with the same salmonella strain – Montevideo – that prompted Cadbury’s recent recall of over one million chocolate bars. Mrs Henderson claims that she ate a Cadbury Caramel bar at the end of May and became ill within 48 hours.


Cadbury recalled seven varieties of chocolate last month after it reported its detection of salmonella contamination to the UK’s Food Standards Agency. The company had been aware of the problem since January, but delayed because it felt levels of contamination were not high enough to qualify as a health risk.


There have been 31 diagnosed cases of salmonella Montevideo in England and Wales since the infected chocolates were on sale to the public, but the Health Protection Authority has not established a link between contamination at Cadbury and the rise in the number of people infected with salmonella Montevideo.


“We’re sorry to hear that Mrs Henderson has been ill and hope she’s feeling better,” Cadbury said.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

“However we would point out that, while we continue to work closely with the Food Standards Agency and local authorities, no link has been found between any incident of salmonella illness and our products,” the company continued.