Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Canada E. coli containing more than 130 frozen beef products recalled

Frozen products sold in supermarkets and restaurants in Canada have been contaminated with E. coli.

Over 130 products are being recalled, including beef burgers President's Choice, Best Value and Irresistibles among others.

The presence of E. coli O157: H7, the same that killed seven people in Walkerton, Ontario in 2000, is being investigated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

An illness associated with consumption of a Best Value product has already been reported.

A security specialist food and reminders of the CFIA, Garfield Balsom, said that the products affected were from a company based in Saskatoon, New Food Classics. The agency has instead used the establishment number to identify it as the manufacturer's name does not appear on all products.

The CFIA indicated that products were manufactured between July 1, 2011 and February 15, 2012. The CFIA says the products bear the establishment number 761, which appears on packages, boxes or crates. They may also have been stamped with an expiration date of 1 January 2012 until 15 February 2013.

The full list is available on the website of the agency.

The CFIA said consumption of products contaminated with E. coli can cause vomiting, diarrhea and headaches. Symptoms usually appear within three or four days of exposure to the bacteria. They last from 5 to 10 days.

Affected products served at Windsor

Employees of the Windsor Regional Hospital have learned the recall of these foods, one hour after potentially contaminated meat was served.

"We take the security of our patients at heart and they have been visited to find out what they ate," says the food service coordinator, Melissa Alexander Dionisi.

No illnesses have been reported to the institution.

0 comments:

Post a Comment