Canadian retailers pulled several brands of wieners off store shelves yesterday, and consumers were warned not to eat them, after Maple Leaf Foods said they may be contaminated with small amounts of listeria monocytogenes bacteria.
The nationwide recall comes about one year after the start of the company's listeriosis crisis, which was linked to the deaths of 22 Canadians and subject to an investigation commissioned by the federal government.
The affected products, which include nine varieties of Shopsy's, Hygrade and Maple Leaf brand wieners, were recalled after company testing revealed some samples tested positive for listeria. The bacteria were detected through a second, more aggressive test, after some product samples passed a primary food safety test and were sent to stores, said Randall Huffman, chief food safety officer at Maple Leaf Foods.
Although the levels were low, the company decided to err on the side of caution and launch a recall, Dr. Huffman said.
The company said small amounts of listeria are commonly found in the environment and are often detected in meat and poultry products – and in ready-to-eat products in particular. Maple Leaf said it follows the federal government's new listeria policy and has stepped up its testing and inspection measures, which means it will likely detect the bacteria more often.
“We've taken significant steps to enhance our food safety system,” Dr. Huffman said.
But the reality is that there is no way to completely eliminate the risk that listeria – or other potentially harmful bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella or campylobacter – will make their way into grocery carts across the country.
“There's no such thing as 100-per-cent safe foods, no matter what food we eat,” said Mansel Griffiths, professor in the food science department at the University of Guelph and director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety. He was also a member of the expert advisory group of the federal listeriosis investigation.
Most people can tolerate low levels of listeria, and other types of bacteria, without falling ill, Prof. Griffiths said. He recommends that people who are pregnant, elderly or have weak immune systems are more at risk, and should avoid consuming ready-to-eat meats.
Dr. Huffman of Maple Leaf says those groups can consume the products, but must exercise caution.
But there are ways consumers can protect themselves when eating ready-to-eat meat and other products, according to Rick Holley, professor of food microbiology and food safety at the University of Manitoba.
Some people eat prepared meats, and even hot dogs, right out of the package. But doing so can result in a serious food-borne illness, he said: People should thoroughly cook hot dogs.
The Public Health Agency of Canada also says that people who are concerned can reheat deli meats until they are steaming hot.
The idea of killing bacteria through cooking applies to other types of food-borne pathogens as well, such as E. coli, which is often associated with uncooked hamburger meat. While children aren't particularly vulnerable to listeria, they can be susceptible to E. coli, Prof. Holley said.
Although there have been no illnesses reported in connection with the latest recall of Maple Leaf wieners, food safety experts say the news that traces of listeria were detected by the company should serve as a warning to Canadians that there's no guarantee the food they buy is safe.
But that doesn't mean Canadians should just accept the fact their food supply carries a degree of risk, Prof. Holley said. Canadian governments and the food industry must make much better efforts to minimize the potential for bacterial contamination before it happens or illness outbreaks such as the one experienced by Maple Leaf last year will continue to occur, he said.
Certain measures, such as better controls to ensure the quality of feed given to animals or revamping on-farm food safety programs, could help eliminate bacteria from fields or processing plants. But one of the most important things Canada could do is overhaul the way it tracks food-borne illnesses. While some provinces keep track of the number of people who become ill from certain bacteria, such as salmonella, other provinces may not be so vigilant. In addition, Canada doesn't track which food items may have led to the illness, which is an important way to figure out if certain foods pose a greater risk to the public.
“There certainly are ways the safety can be improved,” Prof. Holley said. “We're as vulnerable today as we were this time last year.”
Full details of the recall are available at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website.
