Virgin Blue is shaking up the airline business in Australia.   It made a big mistake, however, when it chose Wollongong’s GMI Food Wholesalers Pty. Ltd., trading as Australian Poultry and Food Wholesalers, as its poultry supplier.

The airline used the poultry in “chicken wraps” fed to passengers, but that’s where things really went badly. Two of the passengers were pregnant women and the “chicken wraps” were contaminated with listeria.

The listeria made seven Virgin passengers sick, and was responsible for sending the two women into premature labor. Both delivered healthy babies.

Australia’s health officials said the contaminated chicken was processed at the Wollongong .   It is now prohibited from producing or selling anything from the facility