Category Archives: CFIA

Canada – Lian Teng brand Enoki Mushroom recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on October 26, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Gov Canada

Lian Teng - Enoki muchrooms - Front

Product
Enoki Mushroom
Issue
Food – Microbial Contamination – Listeria
What to do

Do not consume, use, sell, serve or distribute recalled products.

Distribution
Ontario
Quebec

Issue

The affected product is being recalled from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

What you should do

  • If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, contact your healthcare provider
  • Check to see if you have recalled products
  • Do not consume, serve, use, sell, or distribute recalled products
  • Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

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Posted in CFIA, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria Enoki Mushrooms, Listeria monocytogenes

Canada – Genuine Health brand Fermented Vegan Proteins+ Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar recalled due to mould

Posted on October 19, 2023 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

Summary

Product
Fermented Vegan Proteins+ Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar
Issue
Food – Microbial Contamination – Non harmful (quality or spoilage)
What to do

Do not use, sell, serve or distribute the affected product.

Audience
Retail
Distribution
National
Online

Issue

Genuine Health brand Fermented Vegan Proteins+ Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar recalled due to mould.

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Posted in CFIA, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, food recall, Food Spoilage, mold, Mould/Mold, Visible Mould/Mold

Canada – Ararat brand Tahina recalled due to Salmonella

Posted on October 16, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Gov Canada

Summary

Product
Tahina
Issue
Food – Microbial Contamination – Salmonella
What to do

Do not consume, use, sell, serve or distribute recalled products

Distribution
British Columbia
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Quebec
Possibly other provinces and territories
Ararat - Tahina - 600 g - Front
Ararat - Tahina - 600 g - Lot

The food recall warning issued on 2023-09-24 has been updated to include additional distribution information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s food safety investigation.

The affected product is being recalled from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination.

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Posted in CFIA, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Salmonella, Salmonella Sesame Seeds, Salmonella Tahini

Canada – Soft Serve on the Go brand frozen dessert cups recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on August 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

Summary

Product
Frozen dessert cups
Issue
Food – Microbial Contamination – Listeria
What to do

Do not consume, use, sell, serve, or distribute recalled products

Distribution
Ontario
Quebec

Issue

The affected products are being recalled from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

What you should do

  • If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, contact your healthcare provider
  • Check to see if you have recalled products
  • Do not consume, serve, use, sell, or distribute recalled products
  • Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

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Posted in CFIA, Listeria, Listeria Ice Cream, Listeria monocytogenes

Research – Two Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks in a cancer centre: onsite food premises and their potential health risk to patients

Posted on August 5, 2023 by | Leave a comment

BMC

This report describes two L. monocytogenes outbreak investigations that occurred in March and September of 2018 and that linked illness to a food premises located in an Ontario cancer centre. The cancer centre serves patients from across the province.

Methods

In Ontario, local public health agencies follow up with all reported laboratory-confirmed cases of listeriosis to identify possible sources of disease acquisition and to carry out investigations, including at suspected food premises. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is notified of any Listeria-positive food product collected in relation to a case. The CFIA traces Listeria-positive product through the food distribution system to identify the contamination source and ensure the implicated manufacturing facility implements corrective measures.

Results

Outbreaks one and two each involved three outbreak-confirmed listeriosis cases. All six cases were considered genetically related by whole genome sequencing (WGS). In both outbreaks, outbreak-confirmed cases reported consuming meals at a food premises located in a cancer centre (food premises A) before illness onset. Various open deli meat samples and, in outbreak two, environmental swabs (primarily from the meat slicer) collected from food premises A were genetically related to the outbreak-confirmed cases. Food premises A closed as a result of the investigations.

Conclusions

When procuring on-site food premises, healthcare facilities and institutions serving individuals with immuno-compromising conditions should consider the potential health risk of foods available to their patient population.

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Posted in CFIA, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak

Canadian Food Safety Agency implements temporary measures to address U.S. romaine lettuce – E.coli O157

Posted on August 1, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

To mitigate the risk associated with E. coli O157:H7 in romaine lettuce from the United States, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has announced the implementation of temporary Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) license conditions.

The measures will be in effect from Sept. 28 to Dec. 20.

According to the CFIA, this action was taken to address the recurring outbreaks of foodborne illnesses related to E. coli O157:H7 in romaine lettuce imported from the United States. Investigations by U.S. authorities have traced the source of the outbreaks to the California Salinas Valley counties of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito, and Monterey.

During the designated period, importers of romaine lettuce and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce from the U.S. must adhere to one of the following requirements:

  • Declare that the product does not originate from the Salinas Valley counties of California mentioned above, or
  • Submit an attestation form and Certificates of Analysis for each shipment, confirming that the romaine lettuce is free from detectable levels of E. coli O157:H7.

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Posted in CFIA, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, STEC, STEC E.coli

Canada – SSS brand Mushroom (enoki) recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on July 31, 2023 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

Mushroom (enoki)
Issue
Food – Microbial Contamination – Listeria
What to do

Do not consume, use, sell, serve, or distribute recalled products

Distribution
Ontario
SSS - Mushroom (enoki) - 200 g - Front
SSS - Mushroom (enoki) - 200 g - UPC

The affected product is being recalled from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

  • If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, contact your healthcare provider
  • Check to see if you have recalled products
  • Do not consume, serve, use, sell, or distribute recalled products
  • Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

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Posted in CFIA, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria Enoki Mushrooms, Listeria monocytogenes

Canada – Dan-D Pak brand Raw Macadamia Nuts recalled due to Salmonella

Posted on July 19, 2023 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

Dan-D Pak - Raw Macadamia Nuts - 100 g - Front

Product
Raw Macadamia Nuts
Issue
Food – Microbial Contamination – Salmonella
What to do

Do not consume, use, sell, serve, or distribute recalled products

Distribution
Alberta
British Columbia

Issue

The affected product is being recalled from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination.

What you should do

  • If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, contact your healthcare provider
  • Check to see if you have recalled products
  • Do not consume, serve, use, sell, or distribute recalled products
  • Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased

Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections. Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.

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Posted in CFIA, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Salmonella

Canada – Kootenay Meadows brand Nostrala Firm Surface-Ripened Organic Cheese recalled due to generic E. coli

Posted on July 10, 2023 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

Summary

Product
Nostrala Firm Surface-Ripened Organic Cheese
Issue
Food – Microbial Contamination – E. Coli – non-pathogenic
What to do

Do not use, sell, serve or distribute the affected product.

Audience
Retail

Kootenay Meadows brand Nostrala Firm Surface-Ripened Organic Cheese recalled due to generic E. coli.

The recalled product has been sold in Alberta.

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Posted in CFIA, E.coli, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing

Canada – Sélection du Pâtissier brand Framboisier Cake and WOW! Factor Desserts brand Berry Burst Slab Cake recalled due to norovirus contamination of raspberries used in these products

Posted on June 20, 2023 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

Summary

Product
Framboisier Cake, Berry Burst Slab Cake
Issue
Food – Microbial Contamination – Norovirus
What to do

Do not consume, use, sell, serve, or distribute recalled products

Sélection du Pâtissier - Framboisier Cake - 1.6 kg - Label
WOW! Factor Desserts - Berry Burst Slab Cake - 3.7 kg - Label

Affected products

Issue

The affected products are being recalled from the marketplace due to possible norovirus contamination of the raspberries used in these products.

The recalled products have been sold nationally.

What you should do

  • If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, contact your healthcare provider
  • Check to see if you have recalled products
  • Do not consume, serve, use, sell, or distribute recalled products
  • Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased

People with norovirus illness usually develop symptoms of gastroenteritis within 24 to 48 hours, but symptoms can start as early as 12 hours after exposure. The illness often begins suddenly. Even after having the illness, you can still become re-infected by norovirus. The main symptoms of norovirus illness are diarrhea, vomiting (children usually experience more vomiting than adults), nausea and stomach cramps. Other symptoms may include low-grade fever, headache, chills, muscle aches and fatigue (a general sense of tiredness). Most people feel better within one or two days, with symptoms resolving on their own, and experience no long-term health effects. As with any illness causing diarrhea or vomiting, people who are ill should drink plenty of liquids to replace lost body fluids and prevent dehydration. In severe cases, patients may need to be hospitalized and given fluids intravenously.

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Posted in CFIA, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus