Four more than ready-made sandwich brands take in been added to a massive voluntary meat echo in connection with a deadly listeria meningitis outbreak crosswise the state, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said.
In a statement released early Tuesday, the CFIA aforesaid the Alberton, P.E.I.-based Atlantic Prepared Foods Ltd. is recalling its Irving, Sub Delicious and Needs brand sandwiches.
The products are sold in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.
There get been no reported illnesses associated with the economic consumption of these sandwiches, merely they contain some of the kernel products from the Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto that have already been recalled, the CFIA said.
Metro Ontario Inc. too pulled some of its Fresh 2 Go sandwiches from A & P and Dominion stores for the same reason, the CFIA said.
Over the weekend, the Toronto plant was confirmed as being involved in the outbreak of the food-borne illness, caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. On Monday, Maple Leaf upgraded a precautional recall of 23 of its products, issued last week, to all 220 packaged meats from the plant.
29 confirmed cases, 15 deaths
On Tuesday, the company aforesaid it was again delaying the opening of the Toronto facility.
There are now 29 confirmed cases of listeriosis, up from 21, the Public Health Agency of Canada said Tuesday afternoon.
Of the 29, there are 15 confirmed deaths, mostly in Ontario but besides one each in B.C., Saskatchewan and Quebec, the agency said. The listeria strain was the fundamental or tributary factor in six of those 15 fatalities spell the deaths of the other nine-spot patients, wHO had the bacterium in their system, are inactive under investigation to limit the demand cause, the agency said.
Another 30 medical cases � in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec � are being examined for possible ties to the outbreak.
Food safety rules motive 'revamp': Harper
Also Tuesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stressed the seriousness of the irruption.
"This is a terrible development and I want to express my condolences to the families world Health Organization have been affected," he said in Ottawa.
"I think all of us, and plain I include my possess family in this, we expect that when we shop that the things we buy or that we eat are passing to be safe."
Harper cited increased resources and inspectors in the last federal budget as examples of how the government realizes it is necessary to "reform and revamp" Canada's food and product review processes after "some years of neglect."
"All members of government have been on top of this," Harper said.
"Obviously, we want to make certain that the companies maintain their responsibilities and that we to the full review all the facts here, and understand what went wrong and how it can buoy be prevented from happening in the future."
A secret cabinet document leaked lowest month suggested the Conservatives wanted to hand over inspection duties to industry.
In an interview with CBC's Dianne Buckner on Tuesday, Health Minister Tony Clement did non reveal the Conservatives' future plans for food inspection reform, or else echoing Harper's assertion that the government has already started making changes.
"Government policy was to employ 200 more inspectors, that's what we've done since we achieved power in January '06," he aforementioned from the U.S. Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colo.
"When it comes to health and safety, you can't scrimp and save; you've got to do your problem on behalf of Canadians and that's what we're doing."
While critics have questioned Clement's presence in Denver in the wake of the listeriosis outbreak, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, wHO is responsible for for the CFIA, forthwith returned to Ottawa from his Saskatchewan riding to manage the crisis.
Clement told Buckner it was important he look the DNC as "we've got a lot of environmental issues with the United States, a draw of energy issues with the United States, and so contribution of my role hither is to protect and defend Canadian interests."
He testament return to Canada for a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, he said.
Contamination generator may never be found
Symptoms of listeriosis � which include high fever, severe concern, neck stiffness and sickness � occur up to 70 days after overwhelming contaminated food, though the average incubation period is 30 years, the union food federal agency said.
People most at risk of exposure include newborns, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, public wellness officials aforementioned. People should wash bring out and annul unpasteurized milk and dairy farm products, the CFIA advised.
Public health and company officials said the source of the pollution may ne'er be base since listeria is widespread and usually found in the environment, such as in soil and in water.
Maple Leaf Foods estimates the hark back will directly cost the company at least $20 million, with further losings expected imputable to lost sales and advertising to rebuild its image.
With files from the Canadian Press
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