OTTAWA, February 24, 2009 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume certain types of wieners described below.
The following products described below are affected by this alert. The affected products bear the establishment number 611.
The affected products have been distributed in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland & Labrador.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.
The manufacturer, Maple Leaf Consumer Foods, is recalling the affected products produced at its Hamilton, Ontario facility (establishment #611) from the marketplace because the products may contain Listeria species discovered as a result of Maple Leaf’s environmental testing program. The CFIA will be monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
Presently the CFIA have not confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the recalled products. Testing will be done to determine which species of Listeria is present.
While certain types of Listeria species may not pose a risk, foods contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes is a risk to consumers. Consumers who may still have these products in their refrigerators, are advised not to consume them.
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with this bacteria may cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, however, infections during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.
For more information consumers and industry can call the following numbers:
CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
Maple Leaf Consumer Response Line at 1-800-568-5801
For information on Listeria monocytogenes, visit the Food Facts web page at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/causeee.shtml.
For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit our web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.
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Media Inquiries:
Garfield Balsom (English)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Office of Food Safety and Recall
613-760-4232
Jean-Louis Michaud (French)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Operations Co-ordination - Quebec Area
1-866-806-4115
