TORONTO – Maple Leaf Foods is still not out of the woods. Maple Leaf found more listeriosis contamination in its Toronto-based food processing plant, despite a huge cleanup and disinfection of the entire premises. This latest outbreak was announced late Wednesday night, amidst an ongoing cloud that has hovered over Maple Leaf Foods.
This new outbreak discovered 4 tainted meat samples of 2,700 products tested. None of the products tested have been shipped to stores, so consumers can take heart that no people are at risk. However, given the amount of time and attention that Maple Leaf Foods has paid to cleaning up after the initial outbreak, it certainly does not inspire confidence in the average shopper.
For the allergic, this can only spell more fear for the safety of foods. If Maple Leaf cannot get listeria out of their plant, how common is cross-contamination of food proteins from one product to another?
A news release from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says, “The CFIA and Health Canada will do a full and comprehensive assessment and further scientific evaluation of the new findings over the coming days.”
To put this in perspective, listeria is a very common bacteria. It may even have been a resident in your kitchen from time to time. As a result, some common sense precautions can easily help to protect you and your loved ones.
One of the best ways that you can help prevent listeria contamination is to make sure that cooked foods are cooked to at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degree Celsius). Keep hot foods hot until just before eating. Never keep them at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. Similarly, keep cold foods cold and don’t leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours either. Your refrigerator is key to keeping stored foods at the right temp; set it at 34-40 degrees Fahrenheit (1-4 degrees Celsius).
Other safety measures include:
1. Washing all produce well.
2. Keeping raw and cooked foods separate at all stages of preparation.
3. Washing all utensils and knives between uses.
If you are worried that you are at risk for listeria, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has published a list of common foods that have been responsible for previous listeriosis problems. They are hot dogs, deli meats, raw milk, certain cheeses, raw and cooked poultry, raw meats, ice cream, raw vegetables, as well as some raw and smoked fish. In most cases, the culprits are processed foods, so if you are maintaining a clean kitchen and cooking your own food yourself, your risk is very low.
An exposure to listeria does not guarantee illness. The issue is for at-risk individuals such as pregnant women, the elderly, newborns and individuals with low or weakened immune systems.
The disease-causing dose of listeria is variable, depending on the health of the person’s overall health status. Most normally-healthy individuals will not get sick even if listeria is present in their foods, as long as the quantity of bacteria is low.
Source: CTV Toronto and BeAllergyWise
