Canadian Deli Meat Recalls – Déjà Vu Again?

Outbreak tied to luncheon meat triggers massive recall by G. Brandt Meat Packers Limited

On July 14th, the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) issued the following health alert:

"The BC Centre for Disease Control is asking British Columbians who may have purchased Freybe headcheese to discard it or return it to their place of purchase as it may be associated with a salmonella outbreak.

Over the past two weeks, 10 cases of a rare strain of salmonella (S. Chester) have been identified among B.C. residents. The only common food consumed by these cases was headcheese, which had been purchased from various stores throughout the province from mid to late June."

By July 28th, the number of confirmed Salmonella cases in BC had risen to 23.

Also on July 14th, Freybe Gourmet Foods recalled Freybe brand headcheese and suspended its sale of Frebye Ham Suelze. Both products were manufactured for Freybe by G. Brandt Meat Packers (Mississauga, ON). Peter d'Uva, speaking on behalf of Brandt Meat Packers, released this statement to eFoodAlert by email two days later:

"At this time we are aware of a limited number of recent salmonella cases in British Columbia that may be linked to the consumption of headcheese.

It is unclear if the problem stems from the original product manufactured by Brandt Meats or from the subsequent handling of the product.

Public health and safety is of paramount importance to Brandt Meats and we are working closely with the Canada Food Inspection Agency to determine where the source of the salmonella may have originated.

While no Brandt products have ever been linked with salmonella we will continue to work with all agencies to determine the source of contamination."

On July 21st, Brandt issued its own recall notice – covering all flavours of Brandt Headcheese products – warning that the products may be contaminated with Salmonella. According to the notice, no reported illnesses had been associated with the recalled Brandt Headcheese. Brandt's news release, issued the following day, included the following statement from the company's V.P. of Sales & Marketing, Brigitte Brandt-Welzel:

"Public health and safety is of paramount importance to Brandt Meats. We have CFIA inspectors in our plant on a daily basis. We welcome and take their observations very seriously. This precautionary product recall reflects our determination to provide only safe, wholesome, high quality meat products."

On July 28th, Freybe recalled Freybe brand Ham Suelze. This time, the reason given was possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Three days later, on July 31st, Brandt recalled 121 ready-to-eat meat products, manufactured from May 30th onward and sold under four different brand names. The company warned that the recalled ready-to-eat meats were potentially contaminated with Salmonella and/or Listeria monocytogenes.

Brandt also announced that it had voluntarily shut down production on July 31st "... to conduct a thorough and intensive sanitation..." of its Mississauga facility. In making this announcement, the company said that it had "... initiated this precautionary action, in addition to its consistently high food safety standards and protocols. It is precisely these high safety standards," the news release added, "that enable Brandt to continue to maintain its ongoing HACCP approval."

Almost exactly two years ago, Canadians first learned of a deadly outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes illnesses that were associated with consumption of ready-to-eat deli meats manufactured by Maple Leaf Foods. Ultimately, the contaminated meat was responsible for 57 illnesses in seven Canadian provinces. Twenty-two people died.

The first Maple Leaf recall – covering Sure Slice brand Roast Beef and Corned Beef – was initiated on August 17, 2008. As usual, the notice indicated that no illnesses had been associated with the recalled meats.

Two days later, the recall was expanded and the message had changed. The public was alerted to a nationwide listeriosis outbreak investigation, even though there reportedly was "...no direct link ... between the affected products and human illness." In addition to expanding the recall list, Maple Leaf announced a temporary suspension of production at its Bartor Road (Toronto) plant, saying, "we believe it is important to take these broader preventative actions to respond to this situation promptly, comprehensively, and in the best interests of our consumers. We have a strong culture of food safety that these incidents do not uphold, and we are taking every step required to maintain our very high standards."

Ultimately, Maple Leaf recalled its entire outstanding production from the implicated facility. The plant was closed for several months while the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Maple Leaf worked to locate and eliminate from the plant the source of the Listeria monocytogenes.

First an outbreak. Next a limited recall with no associated illnesses, followed by assertions of high standards on the part of the company. Then one or more expanded recalls, accompanied by a plant shutdown.

The cast may have changed, but the plot feels very familiar.

The Public Health Agency of Canada issued a Public Advisory yesterday (July 31st), urging Canadians to avoid eating the cooked ready-to-eat meat products manufactured by G. Brandt Meat Products Ltd listed in the recall notices, and adding the following advice:

If you have any of the listed Brandt meat products in your home or if you do not know if the products you have were manufactured by Brandt, do not eat them. Throw them out instead. When disposing of the products, it is recommended that you put them in a closed plastic bag and place them in a sealed garbage can to prevent others from coming in contact with it. Wash your hands under warm soapy water after handling the products.

If you have eaten Brandt products and you feel unwell, contact a health professional.

To this advice, I would add:

• Do not purchase sliced ready-to-eat meats from deli counters or sandwich shops unless you can determine without any doubt that the meat was not manufactured by G. Brandt Meat Packers.
• Do not serve ready-to-eat meats to very young children, pregnant women, the elderly or the infirm, as these people are at heightened risk of severe illness as a result of Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella infections.
• If you encounter a recalled product in your local supermarket, deli or convenience store, bring it to the attention of the store manager and notify your local health agency.
• Help to disseminate recall information by sharing it with your extended family members and circle of friends.

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Salmonella Chester In Canada: The Outbreak Expands

And so have the recalls

The outbreak of Salmonella Chester infections that we first learned about from the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) has spread to a second province.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is reporting a total of 18 confirmed cases of this relatively rare strain of Salmonella – 17 in British Columbia and one in Ontario. Most of the outbreak victims are more than 70 years old.

According to BC CDC, about half of the initial 10 reported victims needed hospitalization.

The Canadian outbreak is completely unrelated to the recent Salmonella Chester outbreak in the USA.

The illnesses have been linked to the consumption of Freybe headcheese, which was manufactured for Freybe Gourmet Foods Ltd. by G. Brandt Meat Packers of Mississauga, Ontario.

Headcheese is a deli product made from meat from the head of a pig, combined with gelatine and spices. It is not a cheese and contains no dairy ingredients.

Freybe and Brandt have recalled their headcheeses in response to this outbreak:

• Freybe has recalled all Freybe brand Head Cheese products sold up to and including July 14, 2010. The recalled head cheese was distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, northwest Ontario, Yukon, and may have been distributed nationally. Freybe reports that the recalled products were distributed to the Overwaitea Food Group (which includes Save-on-Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Urban Fare and Cooper’s Foods) and Thrifty Foods stores, as well as other smaller delis in Western Canada and the Yukon. As a precaution, Freybe also has suspended distribution of its Ham Suelze, the only other product manufactured for Freybe at Brandt's Mississauga plant.
• G. Brandt Meat Packers Ltd. has recalled all flavours of Brandt Headcheese products, bearing Establishment number 164 and purchased up to and including July 21, 2010. The Brandt Headcheese products were distributed nationally.

Consumers often will not be aware of the source of the headcheese they have purchased, because these products typically are sold by the slice at deli counters. Anyone who has eaten headcheese and subsequently experienced symptoms that are consistent with a Salmonella infection (fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and/or diarrhoea) should seek immediate medical attention.


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Canada's Salmonella Chester Outbreak: An Update

Number of cases likely to increase

As of July 14th, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has confirmed Salmonella Chester infections in 10 residents of Canada's westernmost province during the previous two weeks. Three of the outbreak victims were from central Vancouver Island, according to a report in the Times Colonist.

Most cases occurred in older individuals, and approximately half of the victims were hospitalized. "The number of cases is changing on a daily basis," according to Dr. Eleni Galanis, Physician Epidemiologist with BCCDC. "Because of this," said Dr. Galanis, "we are not releasing a daily count of cases."

The BC outbreak is completely unrelated to the recent Salmonella Chester outbreak in the United States, Dr. Galanis added.

The illnesses reported in BC were linked epidemiologically to the consumption of Freybe headcheese. There have been no reports as yet of the outbreak strain having been found in a sample of the deli meat. Freybe Gourmet Foods, Ltd. recalled the implicated products on July 14th.

The headcheese was manufactured for Freybe by Brandt Meat Packers (Est. No. 164) of Mississauga, Ontario, and was distributed by Freybe to the Overwaitea Food Group (which includes Save-on-Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Urban Fare and Cooper’s Foods) and Thrifty Foods stores, as well as other smaller delis in Western Canada and the Yukon.

When contacted by eFoodAlert, Brandt Meat Packer's Operations Manager, Peter d'Uva had the following comment:

"At this time we are aware of a limited number of recent salmonella cases in British Columbia that may be linked to the consumption of headcheese.

It is unclear if the problem stems from the original product manufactured by Brandt Meats or from the subsequent handling of the product.

Public health and safety is of paramount importance to Brandt Meats and we are working closely with the Canada Food Inspection Agency to determine where the source of the salmonella may have originated.

While no Brandt products have ever been linked with salmonella we will continue to work with all agencies to determine the source of contamination."

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada and the BCCDC are continuing their investigation into this Salmonella Chester outbreak. The BCCDC recommends that residents of the province who experience symptoms compatible with Salmonella infection, should call the 24-hour HealthLink BC line at 811, or contact their family physician.


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