Trouble in big brand land

Maple Leaf Foods, Inc. recalled over 200 products after discovering listeria bacteria at plant 97B in Toronto.


From: CBC.ca, Monday August 25, 2008

Maple Leaf temporarily closed one of its Toronto plants after the bacterium was found on some of its products.

Laboratory tests have conclusively linked some of the products to the deaths of four people, three in Ontario and one in B.C.

There have been 21 confirmed cases of listeriosis in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, and 30 cases remain under investigation.

On Sunday, federal Health Minister Tony Clement said the number of cases is expected to rise, since people can be infected for a length of time before showing symptoms.

Symptoms of listeriosis — which include high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea — occur up to 70 days after consuming contaminated food, though the average incubation period is 30 days.


The CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) has issued a Health Hazard Alert and provides the full list of 220 products that are being recalled, as well as the ready-to-eat deli meats sold at other retailers. Look for '97B' next to the best before or packed on dates. The number will not appear on the sandwiches.

Maple Leaf supplies deli meats to over 3 dozen brands:
(including McDonald's, Mr. Sub and Tim Hortons)

Artisan Collection, Best Value, Bittners, Boston Pizza, Burns, Campfire, Compliments, Coorsh, Country Morning, Equality, Foodservice, Harmonie, Hickory Farms, Hygrade, Kirkland Signature, Maple Leaf, Mayfair/Marque, McDonald's, Mitchell's, Mr. Sub, No Name, Northern Best Value, Olympic, Overlander, Parma, Pizza Nova, Rouyn, Safeway, Schneiders, Shopsy's, The Butcher's Cut, Tim Hortons, Western Family and Westfair

For more information, consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).