Truemors
Opinion
Barry Artiste.
Well first it hit the Canadian carnivores, now it looks like even vegans are not safe.
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.
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.
http://www.about-listeria.com/
Listeria
Listeria is the common name for the pathogenic or disease-causing bacterium known as Listeria monocytogenes.
It is a foodborne illness that when ingested causes an infection known as listeriosis (Cossart & Bierne, 2001). Approximately 2,500 illnesses and 500 deaths are attributed to listeriosis in the United States annually (CDC, 2005).
Listeria is ubiquitous in the environment, and can be isolated from wild and domestic animals, birds, insects, soil, wastewater, and vegetation.
The bacterium easily comes into contact with farm animals as it has been found to be present in grazing areas, stale water, and poorly prepared animal feed. In addition to being present in the environment, Listeria can live in the intestines of humans, animals and birds for long periods of time without causing infection.
Because Listeria is present in nearly every environment - including in some food processing facilities - numerous opportunities for contamination exist during the food production process (Cossart & Bierne, 2001).
Healthcare providers frequently overlook Listeria as a possible cause of illness due to its unusual growth capabilities.
First, laboratories sometimes have a difficult time growing Listeria. When it is grown, Listeria can be confused with other less harmful contaminants and disregarded.
Second, while most bacteria grow poorly when temperatures fall below 40°F, Listeria survives at temperatures from below freezing to body temperature, and grows best at the 0°F to 50°F range, which includes the temperature range used for freezing and refrigeration.
Due to its unusual growth capabilities, Listeria may be transferred in common ready-to-eat foods that have been kept properly refrigerated.
Thus, Listeria presents many challenges because of its ability to grow in diverse environments. These host factors, along with the amount of bacteria ingested and the virulence of the strain, determine the risk of disease.
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.
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