Silvana Aceto reports on expanded Maple Leaf recall

(Report by Tamsyn Burgmann and Joan Bryden, The Canadian Press)

Public health officials have apparently linked a deadly nationwide bacterial outbreak to recalled meat products from Maple Leaf Foods.

The Prime Minister's Office has confirmed to The Canadian Press that public health officials found a connection with the outbreak that is blamed for four deaths.

The Public Health Agency of Canada was expecting test results this weekend and was planning to issue a statement Saturday.

Health officials had positively identified the Listeria bacteria in 18 food samples representing six different types of the meat products, but were awaiting more testing to determine if the meat is responsible.

The scope of the recall grew Friday with another potential Listeria-tainted product, under the Shopsy's brand.

Fewer than 100 Shopsy's deli-fresh Classic Reuben sandwiches with best before dates of up to and including Aug. 22 and Aug. 24 sold at six Shoppers Drug Mart locations in Toronto and at Bloor Superfresh Mart, were recalled.

They contained sliced corned beef, which belonged to a second batch of product called back by Maple Leaf on Wednesday.

Linda Smith, a spokesperson for Maple Leaf, said 100 per cent of recalled meat products were removed from stores shelves across Canada by Thursday.

However, she said, the process of determining where the product landed after it was purchased by distributors such as in hospitals or retirement homes has been more complex.

``There is a very active effort to work with all the food distribution customers. But it is not as direct, because there are customers, and then those customers have customers,'' she said.

``We are very confident, but I can not give you a percentage, but virtually all of it has been removed.''

The listeria outbreak has led to four deaths out of a total of 21 confirmed cases. Of the deaths, listeriosis was found to be the cause of death in three cases out of Ontario, and a contributing factor in the remaining case, occurring in B.C.

Of the 21 confirmed cases, 16 are in Ontario, three are in British Columbia, one is in Saskatchewan and one is in Quebec.

An additional 30 suspected cases are being probed to confirm if they are related to the outbreak: 14 from Ontario, eight in Quebec, four from Alberta, two from Saskatchewan and two from British Columbia.

Medical officers of health have said they expect to see more cases crop up, given that listeriosis has an average incubation period of three weeks.

Meanwhile, Maple Leaf is expanding its product recall to include all production from the Bartor Road facility. A full list of products and codes will be published Sunday morning and will be available on the company website.
Listen to CFRB's Silvana Aceto.