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10 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday August 29, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Number of cases is expected to increase Continued from page 1 woman in her 80s and a man in his 60s, said Matt Ruf, Halton Region's manager of food safety. The department would not identify the patients, who are currently under the care of their respective doctors. Ruf said he didn't know the current condition of the man or woman. He said the doctors caring for the patients ordered lab tests in July, which confirmed the presence of listeria, a potentially-fatal bacteria that can lead to fever, muscle aches, nausea or diarrhea. It is a reportable health disease in Ontario. Over the weekend, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) received lab results from Health Canada that confirmed a link between meat products produced at Maple Leaf Foods's Bartor Road plant in Toronto and an outbreak of listeriosis in four provinces. The plant remains closed and more than 220 ready-to-eat meat products recently shipped from it have been recalled. The products are packaged under various well-known names such as Hickory Farms, Schneiders and Shopsys. The meat recall does not involve Maple Leaf's Burlington pork processing plant. As of yesterday, eight Ontario deaths have been directly linked to the outbreak. Because the onset of symptoms of listeriosis can occur up to 70 days after contaminated food is consumed, the CFIA expects the number of confirmed and suspected cases will continue to increase over the next several weeks. Listeria can be found in a variety of dairy and meat products, vegetables and fish, soil, water and manure-based fertilizers, and is carried by farm animals. People can also carry it on their "We have been advised by Maple Leaf Foods they expanded their recall to include all meats produced at the Bartor Road facility in the past year." 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Call 905-257-0095 180 Oak Park Blvd., Oakville, ON www.chartwellreit.ca Our spacious studios, one and two bedroom suites, along with a wide range of amenity spaces were carefully designed and are tailored to meet the individual wants and needs of today's seniors. To view our one bedroom suite, visit the presentation centre today. hands. The disease affects primarily older individuals, pregnant women, newborns, and those with weakened immune systems, according to PHAC. People who believe they are experiencing symptoms of the illness are urged to contact a doctor. The expanded recall and plant clean up will cost Maple Leaf an estimated $20 million as well as the loss of public confidence in the company. On its website -- www.mapleleaf.ca -- Maple Leaf posted an apology and a link to a YouTube message from company president and CEO Michael H. McCain, describing the company's regret for the outbreak. "On behalf of the 23,000 people of Maple Leaf Foods who live a culture of food safety, we offer deep and sincere sympathy to those who are ill, or who have lost loved ones," according to the company's statement. "But we commit to you that Maple Leaf Foods exceeds federal food safety standards, and that our management of the listeria outbreak will be motivated by one thing only the best public health interests of Canadians and specifically, our customers. "That's why we've started an expanded recall of all products made at that plant from January 2008, even though we have no evidence that the bacteria could have spread beyond the two lines (at the Toronto plant) that were identified as being linked to affected product(s)." Products affected by the recall have the number 97B printed near the expiry or packaging date. To view a complete list of the recalled meat products, visit www.mapleleaf.ca or www.inspection.gc.ca and click on the "listeria investigation and recall" link on the right hand side of the page, under the heading, "Hot Topics." Several food industry giants have also reacted quickly to the listeria outbreak. A Tim Hortons franchise in Burlington has posted a sign saying its meats are not part of the recall. The franchise's corporate website posted the following statement: "We have been advised by Maple Leaf Foods they expanded their recall to include all meats produced at the Bartor road facility in the past year. The list of items includes Tim Hortons slow roast beef." "Tim Hortons is not serving roast beef to customers as the sale of this product ended in early July. Please be advised that this is not a ready-to-eat product. Slow roast beef is subjected to a high cooking temperature of above 165°F which destroys any bacteria of concern. No other Tim Hortons products are affected by the recall." Boston Pizza issued a news release Monday stating it had stopped serving roast beef supplied by Maple Leaf Foods's Toronto plant as a precautionary measure even though the product has showed no evidence of contamination. A Maple Leaf turkey product supplied to McDonalds is also on the lengthy list of recalled meats. Meanwhile, Halton's health department has confirmed it is working with its provincial counterparts to help investigate and control the outbreak. "Health department staff has been keeping Halton health-care facilities up to date with information related to this outbreak, and has been providing local surveillance information to the provincial authorities," said Dr. Monir Taha, Halton's associate medical officer of health. "¯We are increasing communication with food vendors, and adding extra inspections to assist with the CFIA recall." Ruf said two-dozen inspectors are attempting to visit independent, nonchain businesses across Halton to ensure they are See Throw page 11