Tainted sandwich meat a health hazard, federal agency says

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Toronto public health officials continue to investigate whether a contaminated food outbreak that left nine Toronto residents sick - including three who died - is linked to a national recall of popular deli meat produced at North York’s Maple Leafs Food plant.

 

Tests on the nine patients revealed the bacteria that made them ill shared the same “DNA fingerprint,” meaning they appear to share the same source, associate medical officer of health Dr. Vinita Duvey said.

“We believe all the cases are related,” she said.

The next step is to determine if the tainted Maple Leaf food shares its DNA fingerprint with the patients’ bacteria, known as listeria monocytogenes, she said.

“No other source since has been identified,” Duvey added.

Garfield Balsom, a food safety and recall specialist with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), said the large number of people who have fallen ill, mainly in Ontario, mandates looking at all possible sources. But he could not point to any other specific example being investigated.

The ages of the ill patients range from 36, a pregnant woman, to 94.

The three patients who died were 65, 87 and 94. The cause of death for all three was not listeria but all were ill with the bacteria, Duvey said. They may have become sick with listeria and died of something else such as a heart attack or been admitted to hospital with another illness and doctors subsequently identified they were also sick with listeria, she said.

Public health, the Ontario Ministry of Health and the CFIA have been working jointly to trace the source of the listeria outbreak since last month. The first case of illness has been traced back to late June.

On Wednesday, the CFIA issued a health hazard alert as Maple Leaf expanded its voluntary recall of the meats, processed at its plant at 150 Bartor Rd., which runs alongside Hwy. 400 north of Wilson Avenue.

CFIA investigators are in the plant, which has been temporarily closed, looking for the root of the problem, Balsom said.

The potentially tainted products have been distributed across Canada primarily to restaurants, including McDonald’s and Mr. Sub, hospitals and nursing homes. They were also sent to grocery stores and deli counters.

Eating food infected with the bacterium can cause flu-like symptoms including nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, headache, constipation and persistent fever, the agency said.

Symptoms usually appear within two to 30 days and up to 90 days after consuming contaminated food.

“The very young, elderly or those with poorly functioning immune systems are the most susceptible. Flu-like symptoms may be followed by a brain or blood infection, either of which can result in death,” the CFIA’s website said.

“A woman who develops listeriosis during the first three months of pregnancy may miscarry. If she develops listeriosis later in the pregnancy, her baby may be stillborn or acutely ill.”

In its most severe form, listeria can lead to blood poisoning, swelling of the brain, meningitis and death among high-risk groups such as pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune symptoms, Duvey said.

Without laboratory testing, there is no way of telling whether food is contaminated with listeria because it does not smell, look or taste bad.

That is why proper food cooking and handling practices are so important to reduce the risk, Duvey said. For example, vegetables need to be properly washed and juices from uncooked meat should not come in contact with other foods.

Duvey also recommended people in high-risk categories heat deli meats and properly cook hot dogs before consuming them.

Maple Leaf referred calls to its public relations firm, Fleishman-Hillard. However, a spokesperson did not return phone calls and therefore did not respond to questions such as how long the plant will remain closed and how many workers are affected.

People are advised not to consume the products, which include Schneiders Bavarian Smokies and Schneiders Cheddar Smokies, Schneiders deli shaved smoked meat, deli shaved smoked ham, deli shaved smoked turkey and deli shaved fully cooked honey ham, Maple Leaf Sure Slice turkey, roast beef, corned beef, salami, and black forest style smoked ham, sliced smoked ham, Burns Bites pepperoni, McDonald’s sliced cooked turkey and Mr. Sub seasoned cooked roast beef.

For a full list of recalled products, click here.