A listeria outbreak prompted a massive shutdown and cleaning effort at a Maple Leaf Foods plant on Aug. 20, 2008.
Maple Leaf suspects slicers
September 06, 2008
staff reporter
Maple Leaf Foods has pinpointed the likely cause of the deadly listeria outbreak as two slicing machines at its Toronto meat processing plant.
Chief executive Michael McCain told reporters last night there is still no definitive cause known, but in the best judgment of experts, it was bacteria that built up "deep inside" mechanical components.
The Bartor Rd. plant, which was shut down on Aug. 20, remains closed. It has been linked to 13 deaths across the country and another six are under investigation.
In all, 38 cases of listeriosis are confirmed and 20 more suspected.
It appears the bacteria accumulated on the machines despite frequent cleaning on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, McCain said.
Maple Leaf Foods followed and sometimes exceeded the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations. The bacteria was found only after the giant machines were taken apart.
He cautioned the exact cause of the outbreak is difficult to determine because listeria is so pervasive in the environment and present in all food plants. All 84 slicing machines in Maple Leaf Foods facilities have been inspected, disassembled and deep-sanitized, including 14 slicing machines of the same make as the two in question.
"We have fixed the problem, in our belief, through deep-sanitization well beyond our already rigorous cleaning protocol, and we'll incorporate this in our sanitization regimes going forward," McCain said.
The Toronto plant will stay shut until a comprehensive investigation is done and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is satisfied no safety issues are outstanding.
Maple Leaf Foods has recalled all 191 products made at the facility from cold cuts to sausages and ready-made sandwiches going back to January. McCain has apologized to consumers in print and television ads. The recall has cost the company an estimated $20 million.
"This listeria incident is unique in our 100 years of history as a company, and reminds us that our best efforts failed in this instance," he said.
McCain said he hopes consumers will again come to trust the products. "That's a process that will certainly take time. I think it's going to be our consumers that determine, whether they have confidence in us, not Maple Leaf," he said. The bacteria are widely present in the environment and sanitation is key to control. If consumed, it may cause flu-like symptoms, such as diarrhea and fever and, in rare cases, death.
Experts say most healthy people who ingest listeria germs will not get sick. Most at risk are the elderly, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Metro Ontario Inc., are warning the public not to consume a number of sandwiches and party trays that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
These products were distributed in Ontario through selected A&P, Dominion, The Barn, Ultra, and Loeb stores. The CFIA says the products contain one of the cheese products recalled by Ivanhoe Cheese Inc. of Madoc, Ont.