HEALTH HAZARD ALERT

CERTAIN ROMAINE-BASED SALADS MADE AND SOLD AT SAFEWAY STORES MAY CONTAIN E. coli O157:H7 BACTERIA

Related Alerts: 2010-07-14 | 2010-07-14

OTTAWA, July 14, 2010 – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Canada Safeway Limited are warning the public not to serve or consume various store-made and Signature Café brand salads described below because these products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

This recall is being initiated as these salads may contain a ready-to-eat romaine-based salad recalled by Fresh Express Incorporated, California, United States. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these salads.

TThe following romaine-based salads with Best Before dates of July 14 and 15 are affected by this alert:

Brand	Product	Size	UPC
None	Garden Salad	300 g	214735
None	Busy Chef Salad	Various	214516
None	Chicken Caesar Salad	Various	219393
None	Greek Salad	Various	210585
Signature Café	Asian Chicken Salad	369 g	0 58200 13080 5
Signature Café	Chicken Caesar Salad	354 g	0 58200 13086 7
Signature Café	Cobb Salad	457 g	0 58200 13082 9
Signature Café	Seafood Salad	440 g	0 58200 13107 9
Signature Café	Santa Fe Salad	499 g	0 58200 13084 3
Signature Café	Buffalo Chicken Side Salad	255 g	0 58200 13098 0
Signature Café	Caesar Side Salad	140 g	0 58200 13103 1
Signature Café	Garden Fresh Side Salad	170 g	0 58200 13105 5
Signature Café	Spicy Thai Chicken Side Salad	200 g	0 58200 13096 6

These products were made and sold at Safeway stores in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

Food contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria my cause serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Some people may have seizures or strokes and some may need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis. Others may live with permanent kidney damage. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

Canada Safeway Limited, Calgary, Alberta, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information, consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

For information on E. coli O157:H7, visit the Food Facts web page at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/ecolie.shtml

For information on all food recalls, visit the CFIA’s Food Recall Report at: http://active.inspection.gc.ca/eng/corp/recarapp_dbe.asp.

To find out more about receiving recalls by e-mail, and other food safety facts, visit: www.foodsafety.gc.ca. Food and consumer product recalls are also available at http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca.

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Media enquiries:

CFIA Media Relations
613-773-6600