Salmonella death adds to Canada food recall alarm
August 30th, 2008 | by admin |OTTAWA, Aug 29 (Reuters) - One person has died and 87 aresick with salmonella food poisoning from tainted cheese in theCanadian province of Quebec, health officials said on Friday.
The outbreak comes amid consumer alarm over a massiverecall by Maple Leaf Foods Inc (MFI.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) of ready-to-eat meats.An outbreak of listeriosis food poisoning from deli meatsproduced at the company’s Toronto plant has been linked to thedeaths of 15 people.
Quebec public health director Horacio Arruda said thesalmonella outbreak had no connection to the Maple Leaf case.Three brands of cheese were being recalled after an unusuallyhigh number of salmonellosis cases were reported.
“There was one fatality and 40 percent of the cases werehospitalized,” Arruda told reporters in Montreal in a televisednews conference.
The brands of cheese recalled are La Chaudiere, Polo andTradition, bought between July 24 and Aug. 24, the healthagency said in a statement.
Salmonella bacteria are a common cause of food poisoning,resulting in fever, chills, diarrhea and dehydration. Children,the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are most atrisk. (Reporting by Louise Egan; editing by Rob Wilson)
