Canadian consumers suspicious of meat post-listeria

Photos

Canadian consumers suspicious of meat post-listeria

see larger image

uploaded by Wordsnark

Trust in the safety of ready-to-eat food products was severely damaged by the listeriosis outbreak this summer that originated with sliced meat, according to a survey by researchers at the University of Guelph.

The survey tracked changes in eating habits and measured consumer responses to the summer 2008 outbreak, in which 20 people died after listeria bacteria contaminated food products made at a Maple Leaf Foods facility in Toronto.

Before the food recall, consumers did not consider the potential risks of ready-to-eat meats to be significant. After the outbreak, there was a sixfold increase in the percentage of people who reported that they never consume ready-to-eat meats at home, or in fast-food outlets or restaurants.

Even though their reported buying and eating habits suggest otherwise, the survey found that most consumers remained confident about the safety of food in Canada, and 75 per cent considered eady-to-eat meats safe to eat.

"This suggests that consumers have not generalized the listeria food recall to their perception of food as a whole," Guelph researcher Prof. Spencer Henson noted of the survey findings.

The researchers also found that while confidence in food safety in Canada generally remains certain, consumers were less confident about who protects them from listeria. Farmers were judged to have the greatest ability to ensure the safety of food, whereas restaurants, grocery stores and the food-service sector were deemed to have the least ability.

The survey was produced as part of the Guelph Food Panel created by researchers at the University of Guelph. Made of up 2,000 people from the Guelph area, the panel provides a snapshot of a city that is representative of Canada, according to its creators.