Farmscape Article 3253  August 1, 2009

Recommendations contained in the "Report of the Independent Investigator into the 2008 Listeriosis Outbreak," are being widely applauded.

Last August Maple Leaf recalled 191 ready to eat sliced meat products produced at its Bartor Road processing plant in Toronto after products from that plant were linked to a nation-wide listeriosis outbreak which was ultimately linked to the deaths of 22 people.

Sheila Weatherill, appointed by prime minister Stephen Harper to investigate the outbreak and to provide recommendations for improvement, released her report last week (July 21).

Listeria monocytogenes, the bacterium responsible for listeriosis, occurs naturally in the environment. An estimated 10 percent of people actually carry the organism but are not affected. However, when it comes into contact with a person who's immune system has been compromised it can be lethal. It is particularly dangerous for the elderly, those who are undergoing drug therapy, irradiation therapy or sclerosis treatment. Pregnant women can suffer abortion or death of the fetus before term or upon delivery.

Report Offers Comprehensive Recommendations
The Weatherill report recaps events that led up to the outbreak, identifies deficiencies in the system and makes 57 recommendations for improvement.
Key recommendations fall in four areas; the focus on food safety among senior management in both the public and private domains; the state of readiness of the various governments and government agencies; the sense of urgency at the outset of the outbreak; and national communications with the public.

"It took the 2008 listeriosis outbreak to raise awareness that food safety can not be taken for granted," stated Weatherill in her report. "We can not wait for another food borne emergency to occur and more lives to be lost before we act. While there will be costs in implementing some of these recommendations, the costs of inaction – whether measured by the damage to individual Canadians’ lives, lost revenues and reputation for industry, or Canada’s global competitiveness in an increasingly food safety conscious world – are far greater."

Maple Leaf Applauds Recommendations
"The report is tough in its findings on Maple Leaf and it ought to be," observed Maple Leaf Foods president and CEO Michael McCain following the release of the report.
"This report is a painful reminder of the factors that culminated in the tragedy of last year. We thought at the time that we had a strong food safety program and we did not. Had we known then what we know now we may have saved 22 lives."

McCain endorses the report's recommendations and welcomes any and all leanings that advance food safety for Canadians. He describes the investigation as extraordinarily thorough, and observes the report provides a very complete set of recommendations for both government and industry on how to move forward.

He admits, "No report, no matter how thorough, can match the self-criticism and remorse we have felt as a result of this tragedy."

Ottawa Commits to Action to Improve Food Safety
"Canadians need to know when they go to the store to buy food that every reasonable step has been taken to ensure the safety of that food product," federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz stated following the release of the report.

Ritz says keeping Canadians safe is his government's highest priority, this report will be a major part of the effort to strengthen food safety systems and implementation of its recommendations will form a legacy to the 22 who tragically died this past summer.

"Some of these recommendations are already implemented and some can be implemented quickly,” he says. “Other recommendations will take longer as we work with other levels of government and stakeholders to coordinate our efforts."
He notes environmental testing for listeria and reporting of  positive results are now mandatory, additional inspectors have been hired and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's overall capacity has been expanded.

Recommendations Hold Promise
Dr. Rick Holley, a food safety and food microbiology professor with the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences observes the report's reconditions go beyond the specifics of the listeriosis outbreak and, if listened to by government, will make progress in our battle to address issues associated with food borne illness.

"I'm pleased in the sense that it addresses issues that go beyond the specific symptomatic concerns associated with the listeriosis outbreak and that it goes to issues that impact on the level of food safety in Canada using listeriosis as an example," he says.

Dr. Holley admits when the investigation was first announced he was reluctant to believe it would be useful but, now that the report is out, he agrees it can have some impact if government wants it to. However that will require additional investment.

Progress Slow So Far
Dr. Holley observes, there has been little measurable change in the levels of food safety risk to consumers in Canada since October of last year and everything remains as it was.

"We have new regulations regarding listeria monitoring in cooked processed meat plants but there are so many other areas of the food safety system that don't involve listeria that have not been changed. We have 270 cases of listeriosis on average in Canada every year. We have 200,000 cases of campylobacteriosis in this country."
He maintains, in order to make a dent in the frequencies with which we see people becoming ill from the consumption of contaminated food, we should re-focus our attention on the largest cause of food borne illness, poultry and the offending organism is campylobacter.

Success Considered Essential
"We all agree this is a vital initiative," says Ritz.
He acknowledges everyone needs to work together to strengthen our Canadian food safety system and Ms. Weatherill's report gives us a clear road map forward.
"This government will continue to focus on implementing these improvements and strengthening Canada's food safety system," he says.

McCain agrees, the report of the sub-committee of parliament and the Weatherill report provide an important contribution to food safety education and practice within Canada.
"The entire industry needed to raise its game and we clearly have," he says.
"Prior to August of 2008 we felt our food safety practices were best in class. Clearly they were just not good enough. They did not have the scientific rigor, the oversight, the investigative substance or the quarantine safety nets which we now know are critical to a world class listeria management program and which we now have in place."

McCain stresses Maple Leaf has and will continue to make changes in line with the best practices around the world to continuously improve.
"We will continue to be strong advocates for advancing food safety within industry and government. Producing safe great tasting food in a safe environment is our first and most important organizational commitment."

Hard Economic Decisions Necessary
"We should have in this country the right to consume food that's known to be safe," Dr. Holley insists.
He believes government will have to decide in which of the many places it will need to invest money. "I trust that they will view this issue of food safety and consumer confidence in the food industry and in the inspection and regulatory activity of the Public Health Agency, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada as being a high priority needing attention."

Staff Farmscape.Ca