Canada: Deadly bacteria linked to some Maple Leaf meats

Opinion

Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor

Now that BBQ season winds down, kids are home from summer camp, sandwiches the mainstay for any child as busy parents scramble to work, may have ill effects for kids, especially the under 10 group left in daycares where sandwiches are the standard fare will be advised to perhaps stick to fruits and veggies and Kraft dinner and soups or fast food for a while until the Listeria scare is over.

Certainly no excuse for a National Company, where sanitation must always be the buzzword in protecting consumer before the fact and not after.

Perhaps the almighty dollar, and cost saving measures to remain competitive maybe a death knell to any company who puts corporate profit over consumer safety.

I am not saying this is what Maple Leaf is doing , but surely sanitation must be practised vigilantly many times a day. I feel perhaps it was not as the list below of all the different assembly line of meats shown, with the different expiry dates, running on different areas of the plant certainly seems that sanitation was not the mantra of this company.

Cross contamination of different types of meat is apparent from this list, leaving me to believe each line of meat after processing was done that the assembly lines and process equipment were not santized before each type of meat was introduced to the areas to be processed. Certainly one of the reasons I frequent Kosher Deli’s or local butcher shops whenever I can.

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/National/2008/08/21/pf-6521336.html

August 21, 2008

Deadly bacteria linked to some Maple Leaf meats Toronto plant closed due to listeria;

By THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO — The temporary shutdown of a Maple Leaf Foods plant that produced meats linked to a countrywide outbreak of listeriosis shines a spotlight on the big food processor.

The Toronto company, formed years ago from the merger of Maple Leaf Mills and Canada Packers, has shut down the Toronto plant for several days as part of a precautionary $2-million recall of prepared meats being investigated as the possible source of a potentially deadly listeria bacteria.

The outbreak has killed at least one person and sickened at least 16 others.

The complete list of affected products, including individual product codes and best-before dates, is as follows:

* 26365, Sliced Cooked Turkey Breast, 470 grams, Sept. 30;

* 02106, Schneiders Bavarian Smokies, 1 kilogram, Oct. 28;

* 02126, Schneiders Cheddar Smokies, 1 kilogram, Oct. 28;

* 21333, Sure Slice Roast Beef, 1 kilogram, Sept. 30;

* 21388, Sure Slice Combo Pack, 1 kilogram, Sept. 30;

* 60243, Deli Gourmet Roast Beef slices, 1 kilogram, Sept. 30;

* 02356, Seasoned Cooked Roast Beef, 500 grams, Oct. 7;

* 42706, Roast Beef, Seasoned and Cooked, 500 grams, Oct. 7;

* 21334,Sure Slice Turkey Breast Roast, 1 kilogram, Oct. 14;

* 21444, Sure Slice Corned Beef, 1 kilogram, Oct. 14;

* 44938, Montreal Style Corned Beef, 500 grams, Oct. 14;

* 21440, Sure Slice Black Forest Style Ham, 1 kilogram, Oct. 21;

* 21447, Sure Slice Salami, 1 kilogram, Oct. 21; * 21331, Sure Slice Smoked Ham, 1 kilogram, Oct. 21;

* 48019, Schneiders Deli Shaved Corned Beef, 200 grams, Oct. 21;

* 48020, Schneiders Deli Shaved Smoked Meat, 200 grams, Oct. 21; * 48016, Schneiders Deli Shaved Smoked Ham , 200 grams, Oct. 21;

* 48018, Schneiders Deli Shaved Smoked Turkey Breast, 150 grams, Oct. 21;

* 48017, Schneiders Deli Shaved Fully Cooked Smoked Honey Ham, 200 grams, Oct. 21;

* 21360, Burns Bites Pepperoni, 500 grams, Jan. 21, 2009;

* 99158, Turkey Breast Roast, 1 kilogram, Sept. 30;

* 71330, Roast Beef Cooked, Seasoned, 2.5 kilograms, Sept. 30;

* 71331 Corned Beef, Smoked Meat, 2.5 kilograms, Sept. 30.

FACTS ABOUT LISTERIA INFECTION

# – WHAT IS IT?:

The bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes, often found in soil, vegetation, animal feed and feces, can cause the disease listeriosis in humans who eat food contaminated with it.

# – WHERE IT’S FOUND: In vegetables contaminated by soil or manure used as fertilizer; infected animals can contaminate meat; unpasteurized milk may contain listeria, and certain processed foods like soft cheeses, deli meats and hot dogs can become contaminated after processing.

# – SYMPTOMS: Nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, headache, constipation, persistent fever. If it spreads to the nervous system, signs and symptoms may include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions. In newborn babies who have been infected, signs include loss of appetite, lethargy, jaundice, vomiting, skin rash, breathing difficulty.

# – TIMELINE: Symptoms usually appear within two to 30 days, and up to 90 days after consuming contaminated food, according to Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Average incubation period is three weeks, says Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.