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First, it was deli meats, then mushrooms.
The list of foods Canadians are being warned about grew longer yesterday after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced a recall of fresh cut mushrooms that may be contaminated with listeria bacteria.
The mushroom recall is not directly tied to the current listeriosis outbreak that has been linked to at least 13 deaths and dozens of illnesses across the country.
But it is also not a coincidence that health officials discovered listeria in mushrooms in the midst of the brewing public health crisis, according to Canadian food experts.
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The heightened attention to food safety issues probably led to the mushroom recall and could contribute to additional detection of bacterial contamination in food, experts say. It's a complex issue that raises questions about whether there are more serious cases of food-related illnesses that go undetected because officials aren't doing enough testing to determine whether food is safe.
"Listeria is sufficiently widespread that if you're going to start looking for it, you're going to start finding it," said David Waltner-Toews, professor of epidemiology at the University of Guelph. "I would say that there are a lot of foods out there with bacteria in them that may cause some discomfort."
The latest recall involves prewashed sliced white mushrooms sold under the Fresh Obsessions brand by Ravine Mushroom Farms Inc. The product, which has been distributed in Ontario, tested positive for listeria monocytogenes when tested by CFIA officials, according to René Cardinal, national manager of the agency's fresh fruit and vegetable program.
Although many people may not realize it, it's not uncommon for food on grocery store shelves to be contaminated with bacteria, he said, sometimes even at levels that can be harmful to public health.
However, since Canada lacks adequate systems to properly detect and track food-borne illness across the country, many cases of mild, and even serious, health problems that may be tied to bacteria in food often go unnoticed, according to Rick Holley, professor in the department of food science at the University of Manitoba.
"We know that the food-borne illnesses that are reported are just simply the tip of the iceberg," Dr. Holley said.
Federal health officials estimate that there are between 11 million and 13 million cases of food-borne illness in Canada each year. While many of those cases can be tied to consumers' poor food-handling practices, the number of high-profile recalls of spinach, carrot juice, tomatoes and other fresh products initiated in recent years demonstrates that bacterial contamination is also a major problem.
While Prime Minister Stephen Harper has praised the government's efforts at handling the continuing problems tied to listeriosis and deli meats, Dr. Holley said there's no doubt that many other Canadians have fallen ill as the result of food-related problems that go undetected.
If the public learns anything from the listeriosis crisis, it should be to stop taking for granted the safety of Canada's food supply and realize that many items for sale in grocery stores are susceptible to contamination that could lead to illness, Dr. Holley said.
"There are other significant issues with the food safety system in Canada that I'm afraid we're going to be forced, whether we like it or not, to address in the short term to get a handle on this problem."
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Risky produce
While meat is often the first thing people think of when they hear about food-borne illness, fresh fruits and vegetables can also pose health risks. René Cardinal, national manager of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's fresh fruit and vegetable program, said some products are riskier than others.
Precut fruits
and vegetables
Products such as sliced mushrooms, as well as bagged precut lettuce and carrots are more susceptible to bacterial contamination compared with those that are left intact because their outer layers, which help protect them from bacteria, have been cut open.
Cantaloupe
The outer layer is susceptible to salmonella bacteria that can be transferred to the inside of the fruit when it is cut open. Experts advise consumers to wash the outer layer thoroughly before cutting, which may reduce the risk of bacterial contamination.
Leafy greens
and fresh herbs
Many of these products are particularly vulnerable to contamination from E. coli bacteria.
Carly Weeks
