Smith's Quality Meats issues recall over Listeria concerns

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Winnipeg-based Smith's Quality Meats are warning the public not to serve or consume all of the company's ready-to-eat cooked meats because they may be contaminated with Listeria.

Smith's Quality Meats, one of Manitoba's leading processors and distributors of meat products, is voluntarily recalling all ready-to-eat cooked meats as a precautionary measure and the CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall, officials said.

The recall occurred because of results from an investigation the CFIA launched into procedures at the meat processing plant, officials said.

The recalled products bear the establishment number 294 and a best before date between June 11, 2010 and September 3, 2010.

The products include varieties of salami, pepperoni, corned beef, sausage, roast beef, wieners, ham and pastrami.

Winnipeg store owner Edward Cantor pulled roasted beef, corned beef and salami off the shelves of Cantor's Grocery on Saturday (Jun 12).

The affected products have been distributed in retail and deli stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario.

So far, no illnesses associated with the consumption of these products have been reported, officials said.

The public has been warned that food contaminated with Listeria may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with the bacteria may cause listeriosis, which can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea.