Canadian Food Inspection Agency reveals another listeria contamination, but no news on peanut butter

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and HQ Fine Foods issued a warning yesterday (January 16) that Hygaard brand sandwich products might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The notice identified the contaminated products as  the "Hygaard Mini Pizza Sub" and the "Hygaard Little John Sub".

According to the CFIA, food contaminated by this  listeria may not look or smell spoiled. The products, which were sold in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, have been recalled voluntarily, according to the warning. No illnesses have been reported.

Listeriosis causes high fever, a severe headache, stiff neck and nausea, and is especially risky for pregnant women because it can trigger premature delivery or stillbirth. It is also a bigger risk to the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.

Last September just four days before an election was called, Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised an “arm’s length investigation” into a Canadian listeriosis outbreak that killed 20 people.

The independent report was supposed to be completed by March 15, but earlier this month, CBC reported that the Harper government still hasn’t appointed a commissioner.

Meanwhile, the CFIA has not posted anything on its Web site concerning a salmonella outbreak in the United States, which has been linked to tainted peanut butter. It has spread to 43 states.

On January 15, the Georgia Department of Agriculture announced that it had detected microbial contamination in a Peanut Corporation of America processing plant in Blakely, Georgia. Salmonella was confirmed the following day.

“The peanut butter was distributed in bulk to institutions, food service industries and private label food companies,” according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

None of the peanut butter was sold to consumers through retail stores, the notice stated.  

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