Canadian meat product recall is expanded

Ottawa -- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it expanded its warning issued last week concerning contaminated meat products to include additional brands.

The CFIA and Maple Leaf Consumer Foods said the products that might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can be identified by the establishment number that appears on the packages as "Est 97B" near the "Best Before" or "Packed On" dates.

The recalled products, sold under numerous brand names, were distributed across Canada to retail stores, restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes and other institutional cafeterias or kitchens.

The federal agency said laboratory results have established a link between the recalled meat products and an outbreak of listeriosis in four provinces.

The recalled brands include, but are not limited, to: Artisan, Best Value, Bittners, Boston Pizza, Burns, Campfire, Ciabatta Club, Compliments, Coorsh, Country Morning, Equality, Foodservice, Harmonie, Hickory Farms, Hygrade, Kirkland Signature, Lumberjack, Maple Leaf, Mayfair, Marque, McDonalds, Mitchell's, Mr. Sub, Northern Best Value, Olympic, Overlander, Parma, Pizza Nova, Rouyn, Safeway, Schneider, Shopsy's, The Butcher's Cut, Tim Horton, Western Family and Westfair.

Consumers with questions can contact the company at 800-568-5801. A list of the recalled products and other information is available at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2008/list97be.shtml

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.