Update: Salmonella Chester Outbreak

July 31, 2010

The Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) are advising Canadians to avoid eating the cooked ready-to-eat meat products manufactured by G. Brandt Meat Products Ltd listed in the CFIA recall notice . Please read this list of products carefully.

This is particularly important for those who are at high risk of getting seriously ill from food-borne illness: people 60 years and older; very young children; and others with weakened immune systems, such as those undergoing cancer treatment or who have HIV/AIDS or other chronic medical conditions. This is also very important for pregnant women, due to risk of harm to the fetus.

The manufacturer is voluntarily recalling the identified products from the market place. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall. For more information on the recall, visit the CFIA website .

The only illnesses associated to date with Brandt products have been caused by Salmonella Chester in Freybe brand headcheese .

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. The most common symptoms of food-borne illness include:

• Stomach cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Neck stiffness

The Public Health Agency of Canada reminds Canadians to always follow these food safety guidelines:

• Store deli meats in the refrigerator. Use deli meats within four days, preferably two to three days after opening; even if this date is different than the best-before date. Best-before dates apply to unopened packages only. Deli meats sliced at the grocer should also be eaten within four days; preferably within two to three days.
• To avoid infection, wash fresh fruits and vegetables before eating them, clean counters and cutting boards and wash your hands regularly.
• Read labels and follow cooking and storage instructions for all foods. Make sure to check the “best before” date, and if you find something on the shelf that has expired, let the store know.
• Use warm soapy water to clean knives, cutting boards, utensils, your hands and any surfaces that have come in contact with food, especially meat and fish.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables with water. Even if peeled, or if dealing with a melon with a thick rind, we should still wash fruits and vegetables to avoid spreading any bacteria from the surface into the flesh.
• Refrigerate or freeze perishable food within two hours of cooking.
• Freeze or consume leftovers within four days of cooking. Always reheat leftovers until steaming hot before eating.
• Keep refrigerators clean and at a temperature below 4 C, or 40 F. Install a thermometer in your fridge to be sure.
• These tips apply to all of us, all the time, and not just during an outbreak.

For more information on safe food handling tips for seniors, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women, visit: http://hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/kitchen-cuisine/index-eng.php .