A major recall of meat products all over the nation due to fears of food-poisoning has lead to the shutdown of an Ontario meat plant. The meat plant will be closed until it undergoes an intensive and thorough sanitization.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a statement asking the consumers not to eat nearly 120 various cooked and ready-to-eat meat product from the Brandt Meat Packers Ltd.

The statement about the recall was issued just before a long weekend when thousands of Canadians were supposedly packing for some quality time at the beach and picnics.

Caroline Spivak, the spokeswoman for Brandt said that the firm hopes to reopen its Mississauga plant in a couple of weeks. She said this extensive recall is in view of consumers’ health and safety. The firm has contacted about 85 percent of its customers to remove the meat products from store shelves and that includes the grocery stores all over the nation. The remaining customers were closed due to the long weekend.

The concerns that lead to the recall were the contamination of the products by food-borne pathogens. Though the food doesn’t appear spoiled neither does it smell so, eating such food can cause food-borne infection or food poisoning, as commonly known as.

The symptoms of food poisoning include nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, fever and dizziness. Pregnant women, aged men and women, young children and individuals with weak immune system are at higher risk of food poisoning.

The recalling decision was made following a CFIA inspector’s call to the company to report unease over the meat products’ quality. Brandt is reportedly working with the CFIA to verify if there is a contamination.

Source:

National Post, Canada