The Public Health Agency of Canada announced on August 18 that the Waterloo, Ontario-based Rosemount Sales & Marketing brokerage company is recalling Rosemount brand cooked diced chicken meat from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytognes contamination.
The frozen product, packed on January 21 of this year in units of two bags per 4.54 kg case, has been distributed to hotel, restaurant and institutional channels including hospitals and nursing homes in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and perhaps other provinces and territories. Its UPC code is 2 06 20263 12454 7.
The recall was triggered following an investigation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) into a foodborne illness outbreak in three provinces that struck seven people, six of whom were hospitalized. The CFIA is continuing its food safety probe, which may lead to the recall of other products.
“The collaborative outbreak investigation was initiated because of an increase of Listeria illnesses that were reported in June 2019,” according to a statement from Canadian officials. “Through the use of a laboratory method called whole genome sequencing, two Listeria illnesses from November 2017 were identified to have the same genetic strain as the illnesses that occurred between April and June 2019.”
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled. Symptoms of persons suffering from the bacterial infection can range from vomiting, nausea and persistent fever to muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.
Additional information is available by phoning +1 613-773-6600.
