Maple Leaf recalls wieners, cites unfinished testing

Risk to health 'extremely low,' says company

Tuesday, February 24, 2009 | 1:22 PM ET 
CBC News

Maple Leaf Foods has voluntarily recalled hundreds of cases of wieners
that had not completed food safety tests.

The affected products were shipped to Eastern Canada, the company said
in a Tuesday release. Maple Leaf has not specified where exactly the
wieners were shipped.

People who have purchased 450 gram packs of Shopsy's Deli Fresh All Beef
Frankfurters (product code 20730 and UPC 6487520730, best before date of
April 22 and 23) and Maple Leaf Hot Dogs (product code 22356 and UPC
6310022356, best before date of April 23) are advised not to consume
them.

Maple Leaf said 1,100 cases of wieners were quarantined for testing at a
plant in Hamilton, Ont., but they were mistakenly shipped out before
testing was completed.


Shipment a 'direct result of human error'


"Unlike other situations, this event occurred as a direct result of
human error and did not uphold our stringent industry leading
protocols," said Michael McCain, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods.

The company said the wieners are being pulled off shelves "immediately,"
and that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is overseeing the recall.
Maple Leaf said no illnesses were reported as a result of consuming the
wieners, and that "the risk to human health is extremely low."

"As we have seen with the wide range of food products which have been
recalled to date in 2009, as enhanced surveillance becomes more
pervasive in the food industry, positive listeria findings and related
recalls will occur more frequently," said McCain.

"This should be regarded positively as it provides assurance that the
industry and government are acting swiftly to protect public health."

Maple Leaf is still dealing with fallout from the company's involvement
in last year's deadly listeriosis outbreak. The deaths of 17 people were
linked to meat contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes produced at a
Maple leaf plant in Toronto last summer.