Listeria fears spur recall of T&T meat and vegetable products 

Several meat and vegetable products from three brands are being recalled in Canada due to concerns over listeria contamination.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued warnings on Saturday for T&T Kitchen, Kingwuu and Juewei brand items, advising consumers against consumption due to the potential risk of listeria.

“The affected products are being recalled from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination,” CFIA stated on its website.

The products range from spicy duck neck, spice edamame and spicy bean curd skins. For a full list of the recalled products please click here.

The recall impacts Alberta, British Columbia and “possibly other provinces and territories,” CFIA warned.

Listeria monocytogenes, commonly referred to as listeria, is a type of bacteria often found in food, according to Health Canada. Food contaminated with listeria may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness.

Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk, Health Canada warned. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products, CFIA said.

However, if you have these recalled products, the food inspection agency said the products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased.

“If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, contact your healthcare provider,” CFIA said.

CFIA added that it is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products.

In a statement Tuesday, T&T Supermarkets said the recalled T&T Kitchen products were sourced from a third-party supplier facility, Jue Wei Food Ltd., “where traces of listeria were found as part of their routine inspection.”

“These eight products were pre-packaged by Jue Wei Food Ltd. and did not undergo any packaging or handling at any T&T store or facility,” the company said. “This recall does not involve T&T’s produce or meat departments.”

The statement noted there have been “no reported illnesses relating to these products,” which the company said were “promptly removed” from T&T store shelves on April 25.