HEALTH HAZARD ALERT

CERTAIN FREYBE BRAND HAM SUELZE MAY CONTAIN LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES

Food Safety Investigation - G. Brandt Meat Products Ltd.

OTTAWA, July 28, 2010 – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume Freybe brand Ham Suelze described below because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

All codes of the Freybe brand Ham Suelze purchased up to and including July 28, 2010 are affected by this alert.

This product may also have been sold to consumers at deli counters, however, the original Freybe brand and/or the code may not have been transferred to consumer packages. Persons who may have purchased this product and do not know the original brand and/or code are advised to check with their retailer or supplier to determine if they have the affected product.

This product has been distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria may cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, however, infections during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

The distributor, Freybe Gourmet Foods, Langley, BC, 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 Listeria monocytogenes, visit the Food Facts web page at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/listeriae.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