Quebec recalls Listeria-tainted cheese from two stores

Guy Auclair of the province's food and agricultural department says the strain found in the Quebec cheese is not linked to the Listeria-tainted processed meat that prompted a recall of more than 200 products made by a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto.

Auclair, the department's director of food inspection, says it's a coincidence the cheese recall comes at the same time as that outbreak.

He says several recalls linked to listeriosis take place in Quebec each year.

The provincial public health department says there have been 42 cases of listeriosis reported this year in Quebec, where the annual average is around 50.

Two people with listeriosis have died in Quebec in recent days. One of them had the strain linked to Maple Leaf Foods, but in the other case the strain has not yet been determined.