Last year Maple Leaf products contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes caused at least 20 deaths and 56 illnesses, and now the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced a recall of Niagara Smoked Fish Ltd. smoked salmon for potential contamination with the same organism, reports the Ottawa Citizen.

The federal government has recalled nine kinds of smoked salmon after a batch destined for export was rejected at the United States border… [Niagara Smoked Fish Ltd.] also sold the product in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta, but Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials don’t know how many packages were shipped to stores or made it into customers’ refrigerators. Nor do they know whether any ended up in restaurants.

Why was it caught at the border, and not during regular product testing? How can it be unknown where the salmon ended up? Niagara Smoked Fish Ltd. should have a recall protocol, especially when producing a product commonly associated with Listeria monocytogenes. 

The Mississauga plant has been closed for investigation, meanwhile consumers can find a list of recalled products here. There have been no reported illnesses associated with consumption of these products.