Canada recalls beef tongue products traced to Listeria outbreak

A wide variety of brands of beef jelly tongue products have been recalled in Canada because of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. This recall was triggered by findings by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency during its investigation into a foodborne illness outbreak.

There have been reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

Two dozen products are subject to the recall posted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. For a complete list of products and photos of labels, click here.

The recalled products may have been sold by various retailers, either clerk-served, sliced, chunked or in smaller packages, with or without a label that may not bear the same brand, product name or best before date. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the recalled product are advised to contact their retailer.

Consumers who have the recalled products in their homes should dispose of them immediately.

The recalling firms are:

• Summerhill Market
• Wagener’s Meat Products
• Battaglia’s Marketplace
• G Brandt Meat Packer
• Angelos Italian Bakery Market
• Starsky Fine Foods
• Staropolskie Delikatesy
• The Wild Hog Country Market
• Oceans Fresh Food Market
• Pusateri’s
• Stemmler’s Meats & Cheese Retail Store
• Italo Foods
• Yummy Market
• Coppas (Scarborough) 
• Whitehouse Bloor
• McEwan Shops
• Schefflers Deli
• Vincenzo’s
• Ocean Fresh Food Market
• Coppas (King City)

About Listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any recalled productsand developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure.

Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. 

Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. 

Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.