Listeriosis symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck and gastrointestinal illness
Toffee apples should be stored in the refrigerator to avoid the growth of bacteria around the inserted stick
A warning over toffee apple Hallowee'n treats has been issued after a study found they can harbour a deadly disease.
If the sticky fruits are not refrigerated they are a source of the potential lethal food poisoning bug listeria, according to new research.
The study showed the traditional treats - popular at Halloween and on Bonfire Night - may carry a bacterium because of the wooden stick inside the fruit if they are left in room temperature for more than two days.
Studying listeria growth on a group of Granny Smith apples dipped in caramel and stored at either room temperature or in the refrigerator, researchers found the average population of listeria monocytogenes increased 1,000-fold on toffee apples with sticks stored at room temperature for three days.
The traditional treats are popular at Halloween and on Bonfire Night Photo: Alamy
The study, published by the online journal mBio, was prompted by an outbreak of listeriosis in America last year, in which 35 people from 12 states were infected and seven people died.
Lead study co-author Doctor Kathleen Glass, associate director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Food Research Institute in the US, said neither caramel, because of its low amount of water, nor apples, because of their acidity, are normal breeding grounds for listeria.
But she said inserting a stick into the apple causes a little bit of juice to migrate to the surface, and that moisture, trapped under a layer of caramel, "creates a micro-environment that facilitates growth of any listeria monocytogenes cells already present on the apple surface."
Listeriosis symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck and gastrointestinal illness and may not appear until three to four weeks after eating affected foods.
To be safe, Dr Glass said people should look for refrigerated toffee apples or eat them fresh.
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