OTTAWA – Twelve deaths in Canada have now been linked to an outbreak of listeriosis, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
At a news conference on Parliament Hill Monday, The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Public Health Agency said that 11 people have died in Ontario and one in British Columbia.
Six cases have been confirmed as deaths where listeriosis was an underlying or contributing cause and six others remain under investigation.
There are 29 confirmed cases across the country, the agencies said. The agencies also said they have changed the way they are counting the number deaths so that now health officials will count all deaths related to listeriosis.
“It is important that all retailers use due diligence and pull products from their shelves,” said Minister of Agriculture Gerry Ritz at the news conference, adding that an investigation into the outbreak is still ongoing.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency would not provide further details on the people who died. The agency said local health authorities should have more details.
Meantime, the Maple Leaf Foods plant linked to the deadly listeriosis outbreak and massive Canada-wide product recall could be operating again Tuesday – pending test results expected some time Monday.
The Toronto plant that produced the contaminated ready-to-eat deli meats has been shut down for decontamination for more than a week. Scientists and microbiologists were on-site Monday and the sanitation was continuing.
Test results from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Public Health Agency of Canada will determine whether the plant will be up and running again on Tuesday or not, a company spokesperson said.
Earlier Monday, a Calgary-based manufacturer of ready-made sandwiches recalled several products over concerns they could contain contaminated luncheon meats that are under an expanded Canada-wide recall.
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In a statement, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Lucerne Foods is warning the public against eating Safeway and TakeAwayCafe brand sandwiches, distributed in Alberta and Saskatchewan, because they contain “various ready-to-eat deli meat products recalled by Maple Leaf Consumer Foods.”
The recalls centre on the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, which has been found in Maple Leaf products and has been blamed so far for four deaths in Ontario and British Columbia. The connection between the meats and the outbreak, which was officially confirmed Saturday, led Maple Leaf to expand its recall from 23 product lines to 220.
There have been no reported illnesses connected with the sandwiches now being recalled by Lucerne Foods, the agency said. The sandwiches were distributed to Alberta and Saskatchewan Safeway stores, while the TakeAwayCafe sandwiches were distributed at Mac’s convenience stores in Alberta.
“While these suspected cases are all positive for listeriosis it is important to note that genetic fingerprinting results are required before they can be linked to this specific outbreak. So we expect that both the numbers of suspected cases and the numbers of confirmed cases will increase as this investigation continues.”
Maple Leaf Foods chief executive officer Michael McCain apologized to consumers and took steps to contain the damage to public health by expanding the recall. He held a news conference over the weekend and taped a video posted on YouTube.
“Tragically our products have been linked to illnesses and loss of life. To Canadians who are ill, and to the families who have lost loved ones I offer my deepest sympathies. Words cannot begin to express our sadness for your pain,” he says in the video.
Monday’s sandwich recall comes on the heels of another one Saturday, in which the food inspection agency and Royal Touch Foods warned consumers not to eat the Shopsy’s deli-fresh Classic Reuben sandwich because it could be contaminated with listeria. The sandwiches, containing sliced corned beef from Maple Leaf, were sold in a limited number of Toronto outlets, most of them Shoppers Drug Mart stores.
So far, three deaths in the Ontario communities of St. Catharines, Hamilton and Waterloo, as well as one on Vancouver Island, have been officially tied to the deadly strain of the food-borne listeria bacterium.
Symptoms of listeriosis are often flu-like and can include nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, high fever, severe headache and neck stiffness.
The Safeway brand Gold Standard sandwiches recalled Monday include:
¥Lumberjack (Whole)
¥Lumberjack (Half)
¥Lumberjack (Quarter)
¥Ciabatta club
¥Beef and blue cheese focaccia
¥Italian focaccia
¥Italian hoagie
¥Traditional hoagie
¥Basic sub
¥Black Forest ham and Swiss cheese
¥Roast beef and cheddar
¥Turkey and havarti
The recalled TakeAwayCafe brand Mac’s sandwiches include:
¥Roast beef submarine
¥Pizza submarine
¥Our super submarine
¥Chicken club sub
¥Hoagie sub with sausage
¥Sirloin pepperjack (small)
¥Sirloin pepperjack (large)
¥Monterey Jack chicken (small)
¥Monterey Jack chicken (large)
¥Meat lover’s (small)
¥Meat lover’s (large)
¥Ham and cheese
¥Sirloin kaiser
¥Chicken kaiser
¥Chicken wrap
©2008 Canwest News Service
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