Tag Archives: Canada

E. coli in walnuts in Canada? Nothing new

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Three weeks since the last update on an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to walnuts in Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada today reported … nothing.

PHAC stated:

“Since the last update on April 7, 2011, there have been no new cases of illness reported as part of this outbreak in Canada. The last reported case became ill on March 25, 2011.

"The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) continues to work with provincial/territorial authorities, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada to identify illnesses that may be associated with this outbreak and to confirm the source of the outbreak. PHAC will provide updated information as the outbreak investigation progresses."

And then it repeated the statement of April 7, 2011, which noted there have been 14 cases of E. coli illnesses reported from Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. Some of these cases have experienced serious illness. Ten individuals have been hospitalized and 3 cases developed haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
 

Mediocrity wins Canadians lose with foodborne illness

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A bunch of Canadian medical types say Canada sucks at food safety; the first president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency disagrees.

They’re both wrong.

"Canada’s public and private sectors are not doing enough to prevent foodborne illnesses," writes Dr. Paul Hébert, Editor-in-Chief with coauthors. "Among the major failings are inadequate active surveillance systems, an inability to trace foods from "farm to fork" and a lack of incentives to keep food safe along the "farm to fork" pathway."

Maybe. But citing self-published reports that haven’t been peer-reviewed doesn’t lend much credibility to the argument. And speaking on behalf of all Canadians, with statements like the following further disminish credibility.

“Canadians are usually good at regulation. Canada’ s pragmatic yet stringent regulation of financial institutions ensured that the economic downturn has been less severe here than in other countries. In health, our blood system’s surveillance programs and ability to trace products from ‘vein to vein’ is another fine model.”

The way Canada handled the emergence of HIV in the blood supply in the early 1980s was an international embarrassment. Good regulation does not equate to good enforcement. I don’t know what banking has to do with food safety other than it’s another myth Canadians like to comfort themselves with at night, content their world doesn’t contain the harsh nasties of other places.

Oops, that’s a generalization. I should stay away from that; so should editors of journals.

Ron Doering, an Ottawa lawyer and a former CFIA president, will give a speech on food safety at McGill University on Friday during the launch of the school’s new Chair in Food Safety, the first of its kind in Canada. Although he agrees the system could use some improvement, Mr. Doering said it is not in a ramshackle state.

“I’m not aware of any system anywhere in the world that’s better than ours on public health reporting for foodborne illness,” he said. “It doesn’t mean it’s perfect. There’s no zero risk. But I’m not aware of any study that demonstrates in any persuasive way that any country has a better food inspection system than Canada.”

Doering is right there is no published study that demonstrates one food safety system is better than another; such comprehensive studies are difficult, expensive and don’t mean much. But the listeria outbreak of 2008 in which 23 died was another international embarrassment, the Ontario salmonella-in-sprouts outbreak that sickened over 600 was another, and what is going on with E. coli O157:H7 in walnuts is another shameful addition.

There are lots of great epidemiologists and public health professionals in the Canadian system – but they are stifled by a system that rewards mediocrity.

The only way consumers will be able to exercise choice is to market food safety at retail, get beyond the platitudes, and show some data.
 

Was it walnuts? E. coli O157:H7 update in Canada

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Some were wondering yesterday if Amira-imported walnuts from California was the source of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Canada that has sickened 13 and linked to one death.

Keith Warriner of the University of Guelph said there appear to be some unanswered questions in the federal government’s food-safety investigation, so he wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out walnuts aren’t to blame for an outbreak of E. coli in three provinces.

"I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be more like the tomato recall we had," he said Friday.

This is how a single food agency apparently works in Canada:

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Sunday announced a voluntary recall of shelled walnut products imported from California by Montreal-based Amira Enterprises Inc., because they may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria. The agency took action based on information provided by the Canadian Public Health Agency and a risk assessment by Health Canada.

In fact, a senior public health official said Friday there is "no evidence" the Quebecer who died of E. coli illness actually ate any of the walnuts thought to be behind the outbreak. "When we bring information from different people together, they share something in common, and in this particular case, we were looking at food consumption, and this individual did not fit the same pattern," said Dr. Mark Raizenne of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Of the 12 people who were able to provide information about their food consumption history to the Canadian Public Health Agency as part of the investigation, four people reported they hadn’t consumed walnuts.
Those hit by the outbreak consumed foods typically associated with E. coli, such as ground beef, but there was no overlapping brand -meaning the "likely source based on the information that we have" is walnuts, said Raizenne.

To date, no Amira walnut product has tested positive for E. coli, according to CFIA.

Meanwhile, CFIA last night announced the fingered raw shelled walnuts were also available in Vancouver (that’s in Canada) and should be avoided.

Not that it matters, because CBC reported yesterday that those same walnuts are still on store shelves in Montreal.

University of Manitoba food sciences professor Rick Holley said the CFIA does not have the resources to do a proper followup.

"It’s one thing to make a recall, it’s another thing to make sure it happens.”
 

Poopy nuts update; public health hopeless at straight talk

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I generally buy walnuts in a plastic bag, already shelled. Once home, they go into a glass container where I’ll grab a few while puttering in the kitchen, or toss some on a salad, or into Amy’s oatmeal cookies or fiber-brownies (right, displayed this morning by daughter Sorenne).

When the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in walnuts was first announced, early on April 4, 2011, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said people were sick but wouldn’t say how many while fingering walnuts imported from California and imported by Amira Enterprises of St. Laurent, Quebec as the suspected source.

Later on April 4, 2011, the Public Health Agency of Canada issued its own statement, saying 13 were sick and that “consumers who have raw shelled walnuts in their home can reduce the risk of E. coli infection by roasting the walnuts prior to eating them. Consumers should place the nuts on a cooking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, turning the nuts over once after five minutes.”

Sorenne won’t be doing that.

At the time I noted this advice does not account for the risk of cross-contamination with a virulent pathogen and that my microbiology friends look forward to testing it out.

On April 7, 2011, Quebec health types confirmed the death of one person linked to the walnuts and a spokesthingy said, "The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has serious doubts as to whether the infections are related to walnuts, but it’s the most probable source.”

(Are you getting a sense of how well single-food inspection agencies work?)

Late last night, PHAC issued another statement, saying there were 14 people sick in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick, including 10 hospitalizations, 3 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome, and one death.

The PHAC statement emphatically states:

“If you have these products in your home, don’t consume them.”

But then goes on to less emphatically state,

“Until further notice, consumers who have raw shelled walnuts in their home can reduce the risk of E. coli infection by roasting the walnuts prior to eating them. Consumers should place the nuts on a cooking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, turning the nuts over once after five minutes. Wash your hands and cooking utensils thoroughly after handling the walnuts.”

So PHAC added a washing recommendation in recognition of cross-contamination risks.

This is sorta hopeless. Throw any suspect walnuts out and don’t underestimate the risk of cross-contamination.

PHAC then ritually stated how people should cook meat to the proper internal temperature, wash fresh fruits and vegetables before eating them, clean counters and cutting boards and wash your hands regularly.

Sorenne wonders what this has to do with walnuts.

Public Health Agency of Canada, with all your salaries and collaborating bureaucrats, why are you so terrible at talking about food safety (see anything related to PHAC and listeria, 2008).

Consumers are not the critical control point (CCP) for walnuts sitting in a jar at home.
 

Walnuts suspected in Quebec E. coli death

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Quebec’s Health Department confirmed Thursday that one person in the province has died of E. coli O157:H7 after possibly eating contaminated walnuts.

The person had pre-existing health problems, a ministry spokesperson told CBC News.

No other information about the individual was released.

So far, 13 cases of E. coli illness in Canada have been linked to contaminated walnuts distributed by Quebec-based Amira Enterprises.

Nine of the cases have been in Quebec. Two have been confirmed in Ontario along with two in New Brunswick.

Health Canada has been warning people to avoid eating shelled walnuts from bulk bins or certain brands, including Amira, Tia and Merit Selection (right, from CBC, delivery trucks parked outside the Montreal offices of Amira Enterprises).

There has been no additional information for three days. This is Canada, and what with their fourth federal election in seven years, expect the information to be flowing forward in super-duper slow motion.

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Where did the poop nuts come from?

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Sometimes, I write so fast I miss details.

While updating news on the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in walnuts imported to Canada, I focused on the distributor, Amira Enterprises Inc. of St. Laurent, Quebec (that’s in Canada), and their website which stated they import specialty food products from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

What I glossed over was this statement: “The raw shelled walnuts are imported from the U.S.”

Where did the nuts originate within the U.S.? And where did the nuts get pooped on in the farm-to-fork system?

BTW, Amira, it would be courteous if you put some information on your own website about the walnuts you voluntarily recalled.

Sometimes the faster it gets
The less you need to know
But you gotta remember
The smarter it gets the further it’s going to go
When you blow at high dough

Tragically Hip, Canadian national anthem, 1989.
 

13 sick, 9 hospitalized in Canadian E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to walnuts

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Late last night, Canadian health types issued a media release saying there were people sick from E. coli O157:H7 in several provinces linked to walnuts.

I noted that was really crappy risk communication – not being clear about what was known in terms of sick people and what was not known — which is expected of government agencies like Health Canada, especially when they proclaimed a couple of days ago they were a founding member of some international Center of Excellence in Food Risk Communication (it’s a website and sucks).

About an hour ago (2:16 p.m. Eastern, April 4, 2011) the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced there have been 13 cases of E. coli O157:H7 in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick (those are provinces in Canada). Nine individuals have been hospitalized and two cases developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

The strivers for excellence in food risk communication note:

“You can help reduce your risk of becoming ill by following safe food handling precautions:
? Clean counters and cutting boards and wash your hands regularly.
? Read labels and follow cooking and storage instructions for all foods.
? Make sure to check the "best before" date on all foods.
? Use warm soapy water to clean knives, cutting boards, utensils, your hands and any surfaces that have come in contact with food, especially meat and fish.
? Refrigerate or freeze perishable food within two hours of cooking.
? Freeze or consume leftovers within four days of cooking.
? Always reheat leftovers until steaming hot before eating.
? Keep refrigerators clean and at a temperature below 4° C, or 40° F. Install a thermometer in your refrigerator to be sure.”

I have no idea how this applies to raw walnuts, like the ones I had on my salad for lunch (those yummy walnuts were from California, not Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia or Iran, the places from where the fingered distributor, Amira Enterprises Inc. of St. Laurent, QC, imports things like walnuts.

And rather than toss out the suspect walnuts, Canadian health types recommend “consumers who have raw shelled walnuts in their home can reduce the risk of E. coli infection by roasting the walnuts prior to eating them. Consumers should place the nuts on a cooking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, turning the nuts over once after five minutes.”

This does not account for the risk of cross-contamination with a virulent pathogen. My microbiology friends look forward to testing out this advice. I wonder what it was based on?
 

E. coli O157:H7 in walnuts; people are sick, Canada won’t say how many

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People are sick in several Canadian provinces from E. coli O157:H7 in walnuts, but federal health types decided it’s a secret, so mere mortals are left to speculate.

From the rather crappy press release:

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Amira Enterprises Inc. are warning the public not to consume certain bulk and prepackaged raw shelled walnut products described below because these products may be contaminated with may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

All raw shelled walnuts sold from bulk bins, all package sizes and all lot codes / Best Before dates of the following raw shelled walnuts and products containing walnuts are affected by this alert. The affected products were available for purchase from January 1, 2011, up to and including April 4, 2011. The raw shelled walnuts are imported from the USA.
Brand Product
Amira Raw shelled walnuts sold from a bulk bin*
Amira Prepackaged raw shelled walnuts (Halves/Pieces/Crumbs)
Tia Prepackaged raw shelled walnuts (Halves/Pieces/Crumbs)
Merit Selection Prepackaged raw shelled walnuts (Halves/Pieces/Crumbs)
Amira Mistral Mix containing walnuts
Tia Mistral Mix containing walnuts
Amira Salad booster containing walnuts
Tia Salad booster containing walnuts

*The brand name Amira may not be marked on the raw walnuts sold from the bulk bins.
Consumers who have purchased walnuts from bulk bins are advised to contact the retailer to determine if they have the affected product.

That’s helpful for consumers.

Amira Enterprises Inc. of St. Laurent, QC, an importer of specialty food products from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran, is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace.

Canadian government about to be toppled bolsters food inspection

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One of the reasons I largely ignore political chatter is the meaningless of it all.

The Conservative minority government unveiled its budget this afternoon and pledged to boost spending on Canada’s food inspection system by $100 million over the next five years.

The additional money for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is needed to fix problems flagged in 2009 in the wake of a deadly listeriosis outbreak, the government said.

Independent investigator Sheila Weatherill identified a series of food-safety gaps in Canada — including a void in leadership within the federal government — that helped contribute to a listeriosis outbreak in 2008 that left 22 Canadians dead.

They had all consumed tainted deli meats produced at a federally inspected plant in Toronto, operated by Maple Leaf Foods.

But the three opposition parties in the British-style Parliamentary system are all saying, the budget sucks, so let’s have yet another election.
 

Canadian bureaucrats shirked ‘duty to assist’ with listeria information request

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The 2008 listeria outbreak in Canada caused by Maple Leaf deli meats that killed 23 and sickened 56 was characterized by multiple failures amongst multiple players – primarily Maple Leaf, the Canadian government, and dieticians at assisted-care facilities.

A few journalists tried to peel back the layers of palp but were often stonewalled. Yesterday, the federal information czar chastised the department that serves the Prime Minister for shirking its duty to assist The Canadian Press with an access-to-information request seeking files on the listeriosis outbreak.

The staff of Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault, an ombudsman for users of the access law, took more than two years to rule on the news agency’s complaint.

The listeriosis matter dates back to an October 2008 request for all transcripts and minutes of conference calls in the previous two months on the health crisis.

Four months later, the Privy Council Office decided the records it possessed did not fall under the request because they were handwritten notes, not formal minutes or transcripts.

The information commissioner disagreed, and asked the PCO to process the notes.

The handwritten notes were not released to The Canadian Press until February this year — 28 months after the original access request was made.