Meatingplace Magazine in the United States has revealed and Tip Top Poultry of Georgia is the source of frozen breaded chicken contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.
It says the chicken in markets was distributed far and wide - as far north as Illinois and every across the Pacific to the island of Guam. And it says some of that chicken was marketed to Canadians.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has followed this news about
Tip Top Poultry with daily news about its expanded recalls of frozen breaded chicken.
Among the biggest clients is the Metro supermarket chain which also owns Food Basics. (Unfortunately, it also got hit by the recall of beef and veal from Ryding-Regency in Toronto).
I question how this chicken from the United States came into Canada. Was it within the limits of import controls designed to protect the Canadian chicken industry? How did it slip past the Canadian Food Inspection Agency which is supposed to be watching out for Canadian consumers?
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, we have had 110 cases of Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning spread over the last two years, all linked together by DNA whole-genome sequencing tests. Does that mean they all trace to Tip Top Poultry in Georgia?
One Canadian died; seven were so sick they were hospitalized.
Do we need a public inquiry to expose what has gone on here?
