Maple Leaf Foods

[Twocoda]

those of you that like cooking hotdogs with the kids over a fire ...beware!!!

 

 

 

The Canadian Press

 

TORONTO -- Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is recalling nine wiener products because they may contain traces of the Listeria bacteria.

 

The wieners are produced at a Maple Leaf facility in Hamilton, Ont., under the Hygrade, Shopsy's and Maple Leaf brand names.

 

The company says in a statement there have been no reported illnesses and this is a precautionary measure only.

 

The best-before dates on the recalled products range from Sept. 8 to Sept. 17. The dates, the number for the Hamilton plant "EST. 611" and Line 1 "L1" are on an inkjet stamp located on the edge of the packaging.

 

A listeriosis outbreak last summer that was traced to a Maple Leaf plant in Toronto claimed 22 lives across Canada.

 

Dr. Randall Huffman, the chief food safety officer at Maple Leaf, says in a statement the company is now "ultra-cautious about Listeria."

 

Huffman said the Hamilton plant has a very strong food safety testing and sanitation program and the Listeria bacteria found in random product samples is at very low levels.

 

Maple Leaf says the affected wieners are being removed from inventory and store shelves and being returned to the company.

 

The company also says no other products are affected by the recall.

[Governator]

not again!!

[MuskyBill]

That's why I only buy Schneider's bacon & hot dogs these days....

[TC1OZ]

Schneider's Juicy Jumbo's 100% all beef.....now thats a MEAL!

[Canuck2fan]

That's why I only buy Schneider's bacon & hot dogs these days....

 

There is only one flaw in your logic..... MAPLE LEAF owns Schneider's now and some of the Schneider's product is made on the same lines as the maple leaf. So are some Bitners, Shopsy's, President Choice and lots of other store brands products.

Edited August 4, 2009 by Canuck2fan

[Mattones]

This is why I goto local butchers:P altough its pricey most times hehe

[Burtess]

We just got a recorded message from Costco about the dogs.

We had the 3 pack of Shopsy and consumed 2 of them over the last week camping. No sickness here..... I will go back for a refund though as I still have the receipt.

 

Burt

[kickingfrog]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health...article1241213/

 

Cook your food.

 

 

 

Tuesday, Aug. 04, 2009 08:05PM EDT

 

 

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.

[Whitespinnerbait]

Must be some kind of inside sabotage

[Greencoachdog]

I only eat foods processed in the USA... they're 100% safe yanno!!!

[Cudz]

I only eat foods processed in the USA... they're 100% safe yanno!!!

Yep that is correct. Eat up!

[Rattletrap2]

Oh man, here we go again!

I'm glad that they are stepping up their testing and trying to be proactive with their recalls, but it is getting to be a bit on the ridiculous side when it comes to Maple Leaf and their brands. Talk about losing the battle to win back consumer confidence in their meats!