Canadian listeria precautions exceed regulations - company
Calgary-based Ginger Beef Choice, a subsidiary of Ginger Beef Corporation, recalled its pre-cooked products and shut down its production line in order to undertake a complete wash down of its facilities.
Listeria was found at the company’s facility, which specialises in the manufacture of Asian food, during a monthly routine inspection
Since the discovery the company has been working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to address any potential hazards.
The agency added that there have been no reported illnesses in relation to the product.
“The manufacturer, Ginger Beef Choice, Calgary, AB, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall,” said the agency in a statement published on its website.
Exceeded CFIA regulations
“In undertaking the voluntary recall of our pre-cooked products and shutting down our facility, we are exceeding CFIA regulations for these circumstances,” said Ginger Beef Choice vice president of operations James Leung.
“These are precautionary measures taken to protect the health and safety of our customers.”
The company is working with retailers across Canada to recall products from shelves – a measure the CFIA is monitoring.
“We follow all government requirements for food handling and have a comprehensive food safety program in place across our operations.”
Public warning
In a statement issues by the CFIA, the agency warned the public not to consume the ready-to-eat Special Combo manufactured by Ginger Beef Choice because of the potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
Consuming food contaminated with the Listeria monocytogenes pathogen can lead to listeriosis – a potentially fatal illness.
