Cheese added to Listeria recall list: Ontario's Ivanhoe Cheese Inc

Opinion

Barry Artiste.

Well first it hit the Canadian carnivores, now it looks like even faux vegans are not safe. PETA advocates must be sitting at home with wagging fingers of smugness at the ready.

One wonders if Listeria was always in our foods, and as the Maple Leaf Foods scandal, testing of other food stuffs is showing Listeria is as common as the air we breath.

If animals are infected with Listeria prior to slaughter, it is the responsibility of Government inspectors to find out.  The responsibility of the Food Processors is to ensure sanitary conditions to ensure any bacterium inside the animals instestines do not get cut and spill out over the butchers table contaminating the rest of the meat which comes later along the process line.

As for the milk used in the making of cheese, can we really fault the food processors like Ivanhoe, which only receive the milk? I don't think so, I would think Government Health Inspectors would have that responsibility to ensure the  cheese and dairy processors milk is fit for consumption.

In the US, 50 people die from Listeria infection. Perhaps this Listeria is a blessing in disguise in that all Food Processors will now be under scrutiny by government and consumers affecting a companies bottom line.

We may get clean food out of all of this, tragically due to the credit of lives lost due to Listeria contamination.

Below is information from the Centre for Disease Control

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/listeriosis_gi.html

What is listeriosis? Listeriosis, a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, has recently been recognized as an important public health problem in the United States.

The disease affects primarily persons of advanced age, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems.

However, persons without these risk factors can also rarely be affected. The risk may be reduced by following a few simple recommendations.

Back to Top What are the symptoms of listeriosis? A person with listeriosis has fever, muscle aches, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea.

If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions can occur.

Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness; however, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, premature delivery, or infection of the newborn.

How great is the risk for listeriosis?

In the United States, an estimated 2,500 persons become seriously ill with listeriosis each year. Of these, 500 die.

At increased risk are:

* Pregnant women - They are about 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis. About one-third of listeriosis cases happen during pregnancy.

* Newborns - Newborns rather than the pregnant women themselves suffer the serious effects of infection in pregnancy.

* Persons with weakened immune systems

* Persons with cancer, diabetes, or kidney disease * Persons with AIDS - They are almost 300 times more likely to get listeriosis than people with normal immune systems.

* Persons who take glucocorticosteroid medications

* The elderly Healthy adults and children occasionally get infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.

How does Listeria get into food?

Listeria monocytogenes is found in soil and water. Vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer.

Animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill and can contaminate foods of animal origin such as meats and dairy products.

The bacterium has been found in a variety of raw foods, such as uncooked meats and vegetables, as well as in processed foods that become contaminated after processing, such as soft cheeses and cold cuts at the deli counter.

Unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk may contain the bacterium. Listeria is killed by pasteurization and cooking; however, in certain ready-to-eat foods such as hot dogs and deli meats, contamination may occur after cooking but before packaging.

How do you get listeriosis?

You get listeriosis by eating food contaminated with Listeria. Babies can be born with listeriosis if their mothers eat contaminated food during pregnancy.

Although healthy persons may consume contaminated foods without becoming ill, those at increased risk for infection can probably get listeriosis after eating food contaminated with even a few bacteria. Persons at risk can prevent Listeria infection by avoiding certain high-risk foods and by handling food properly.

Can listeriosis be prevented? The general guidelines recommended for the prevention of listeriosis are similar to those used to help prevent other foodborne illnesses, such as salmonellosis. In addition, there are specific recommendations for persons at high risk for listeriosis.

How can you reduce your risk for listeriosis? General recommendations:

* Thoroughly cook raw food from animal sources, such as beef, pork, or poultry. * Wash raw vegetables thoroughly before eating.

* Keep uncooked meats separate from vegetables and from cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods.

* Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk. * Wash hands, knives, and cutting boards after handling uncooked foods.

* Consume perishable and ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible Recommendations for persons at high risk, such as pregnant women and persons with weakened immune systems, in addition to the recommendations listed above:

* Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.

* Avoid getting fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, and deli meats.

* Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, and Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, or Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco, queso fresco, and Panela, unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pastuerized milk.

* Do not eat refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable pâtés and meat spreads may be eaten.

* Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna or mackerel, is most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked," or "jerky."

The fish is found in the refrigerator section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood may be eaten.

href="http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/09/04/6658326-cp.html">http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/09/04/6658326-cp.html

Cheese produced by Ontario company added to Listeria recall list

By THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO - The list of foods feared to be tainted with the Listeria bacterium has grown to include cheese produced at Ontario's Ivanho Cheese Inc.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the manufacturer is recalling several products sold at grocery stores and deli counters across Ontario.

The agency says the effected products carry best before dates of February 20 to March 1, 2009 and were sold between August 20th and September 3rd.

The recall is for the Ivanho, Great Canadian and Iqbal brands and affects a variety of cheese including cheddar, marble, asiago, havarti, gouda, parmesan, swiss, feta, colby and mozarella.