Listeria concerns prompt Maple Leaf wiener recall

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 | 6:30 am
Canwest News Service

OTTAWA – Just as barbecue-filled long weekends across Canada were coming to an end, Maple Leaf Foods issued a recall on a popular brand of hot dogs due to concerns they had been contaminated with listeria.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in a news release sent late Monday night, advised customers to throw out any of the following products, all made by Maple Leaf Foods:

Hygrade Wieners, sold in 450-gram packages with a best-before date of Sept. 16;

Shopsy’s Deli-Fresh All Beef Frankfurters (value pack), sold in 3 x 675-g packages with a best-before date of Sept. 17;

Deli-Fresh All Beef Frankfurters, sold in 450-g packages with best-before dates of Sept. 8 and Sept. 17;

Shopsy’s Deli-Fresh Regular Frankfurters, sold in 450-g packages with a best- before date of Sept. 8;

Maple Leaf Hot Dogs Original Wieners, sold in 450-g packages with best- before dates of Sept. 8 and Sept. 17;

Maple Leaf Top Dogs All Beef Wieners, sold in 450-g packges with best-before dates of Sept. 8 and Sept. 15;

Maple Leaf Top Dogs Original Wieners, sold in 450-g packages with best- before dates of Sept. 9, Sept. 10, and Sept. 15;

Maple Leaf Top Dogs Original Wieners BBQ Size, sold in 450-g packages with a best-before date of Sept. 9;

and Maple Leaf Top Dogs Wieners 33 % Less Fat, sold in 450-g packages with best-before dates of Sept. 8 and Sept. 15.

Listeria, a food-borne bacteria, can lead to listeriosis if contaminated meat is consumed, which can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea.

The CFIA statement said there had not been any reported illnesses associated with the products in this recall. The wieners had been sold in stores nationally.

A listeriosis outbreak at a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto last year was linked to the deaths of 22 Canadians and prompted an investigation into food inspection practices around the country.

The release said that “government and industry were able to pinpoint this potential problem as a result of the new mandatory testing and reporting requirements placed on industry in February 2009.”

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Remember the story?

August 25, 2008

Public health first, says head of Maple Leaf Foods.

The president and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods said Sunday he is determined to put public health first with a massive meat recall because of an outbreak of the potentially deadly bacterium Listeria monocytogenes at a Toronto plant that has claimed four lives and made dozens of others ill.

By Canwest News Service

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All about US Health Care -- Keith Olbermann to Expose Congressional Opponents of Universal Health Care Tonight!

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

We've just received an advance transcript of tonight's Special Comment by Keith Olbermann on his MSNBC show. It is nothing short of brilliant -- and if all of America were to hear what he is going to reveal tonight, we are certain the vast majority of Americans would be on the phone to their elected representative immediately, calling for an end to the private, for-profit, rip-off health insurance companies who have wrecked our country.

Here's a brief section of Keith's editorial tonight:

"Congressman Mike Ross of Arkansas. Leader of the Blue Dogs in the House. You're the guy demanding a guarantee that Reform won't add to the deficit. I'm guessing you forgot to demand that about, say, Iraq. You're a Democrat, you say, Congressman?

"You saw what Sandy Barham said? Sandy Barham is 62 years old, she's got a bad heart, and she's hoping her valves will hold together for three more years until Medicaid kicks in, because she can't afford insurance. Not just for herself, mind you. For her employees. She needs the public option. So do those six people who work at that restaurant of hers, Congressman Ross.

"And why should you give a crap? Because Sandy Barham's restaurant is the Broadway Railroad Café, and it is at 123 West First Street North in Prescott, Arkansas. Prescott, Arkansas, Congressman Ross. Your home town. You are Sandy Barham's congressman. Hers, Sir. Not Blue Cross's and Blue Shield's, even if they do insure 75 percent of the state and they own you."

And here's what Keith has to say about Senator Thune:

"Senator John Thune of South Dakota? You gave the Republican rebuttal to the President's weekly address day before yesterday. You said the Democrats' plan was for '... government run health care that would disrupt our current system, and force millions of Americans who currently enjoy their employer-based coverage into a new health care plan run by government bureaucrats.'

"That's a bald-faced lie, Senator. And you're a bald-faced liar, whose bald face is covered by… your own health care plan run by government bureaucrats."
Don't miss his show, live at 8pm ET. Rebroadcast at 10pm and 1am.

Webmaster
MichaelMoore.com

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Smokey Skies & Your Health -- MEDIA RELEASE

July 19, 2009

Residents of the Okanagan regions and other areas affected by the West Kelowna fires should be aware that smoke conditions and local air pollution levels can change due to the unpredictable nature of fires.

Individuals with heart or lung conditions may be more sensitive to the effects of smoke from forest fires. These individuals should watch for any change in symptoms that may be due to smoke exposure. If any symptoms are noted, affected individuals should take steps to reduce their exposure to smoke and if necessary see their physician or local walk-in clinic.

People with severe symptoms should present themselves to the nearest Emergency Department.

Reducing Exposure to Smoke

There are some actions you can take to reduce the health effects of smoke in the air:

* Use common sense regarding outdoor physical activity – if your breathing becomes difficult or uncomfortable, stop or reduce the activity.

* You may be able to reduce your exposure to smoke by moving to cleaner air. Large air conditioned areas such as shopping malls will likely provide improved air quality. However, not all air conditioning systems, e.g. some household systems, will necessarily improve air quality. Conditions can vary dramatically by area and elevation.

* Residents with asthma or other chronic illness should activate their asthma or personal care plan.

* If necessary, see your physician or visit a local walk-in clinic.

For general information about smoke and your health, contact HealthLink BC available toll free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 8-1-1, or via the web at: http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/kbaltindex.asp.

If the public wants to know the Air Quality Health Index for their region, log on to www.airhealthbc.ca or call (250) 952-2039.

During a forest fire, it's also important to be aware of health risks associated with food safety in power outages and water quality. Interior Health's website contains helpful information and other resources related to forest fire smoke exposure / air quality, as well as food safety when the power is out and ensuring your drinking water is safe. Visit www.interiorhealth.ca, click on the Health & Safety tab at the top of the page, then follow the links for Emergency Information > Forest Fires.

Media, for more info:

Karen Cairns,
IH Communications Officer
250.862.7228

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TRAINING REDUCED AT ARMY CADET CENTRE AFTER CONFIRMATION ONE CADET HAS H1N1

From the CF:

VERNON, B.C. - Training has been reduced at the Vernon Army Cadet Summer Training Centre as a precautionary measure as a result of laboratory confirmation that one cadet has been ill with the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus. This has led to a decision to limit the intake of cadets for the rest of the summer.

Five days after the summer training centre began operating three cadets presented themselves at the Medical Inspection Room (MIR) with symptoms of influenza-like illness (ILI). One was assessed at Vernon Jubilee Hospital but was not admitted. The cadet returned to the centre and was isolated along with the two other cadets. Since then, a total of 27 cases with respiratory symptoms have been isolated at the centre and all are doing well. No cadets have been hospitalized. The parents of all cadets were notified and were in agreement with the care provided. Viral swabs were taken from eight of the cases and sent to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) laboratory in Vancouver on July 13 for analysis. Today, the BCCDC reported that one of the samples was positive for the pandemic (H1NI) 2009 virus, one sample is indeterminate and will undergo further testing. Six other samples were negative.

Canadian Forces Health Services has consulted with their national public health authorities and with the B.C. Interior Health Authority and BCCDC since the first cases came to light. At this time there is no recommendation from Public Health officials to close the centre.

The Vernon Cadet Summer Training Centre hosts about 800 cadets at once throughout the summer; some for two weeks, some for three weeks and about a half for six weeks. Earlier in the week it was decided to not go ahead with the second two-week intake of cadets. A decision is yet to be made whether the third group of two week cadets and the second group of three-week cadets will attend leaving about 400 cadets to complete their training until Aug.14.

The Vernon CSTC has a staff of 10 medical personnel including a contracted civilian physician, a CF nursing officer, and eight civilian nurses. Additional CF medical personnel were brought in to assist with the increased volume of illness. The application to attend summer training includes a parent's medical statement that is assessed in advance of a cadet being accepted for attendance.

Posted by Dave Pugliese at David Pugliese’s Defence Watch

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Interior Health is now building patient care in real time

The Kelowna and Vernon Hospitals Project (www.buildingpatientcare.ca) has just installed sky-cams at Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH) and Kelowna General Hospital (KGH). The cameras will take photographs of the construction of the new Patient Care Towers going up at both sites.

Each camera will automatically press the shutter once every six minutes, providing a frame-by-frame photo archive of construction. So now you can watch as we build new facilities to benefit all Southern Interior residents.

Here is what the VJH site looked like a little while ago:

To view the site click here

Here is what the KGH sites looked like a while ago:

To view the Kelowna site click here

Anyone can view the images at any time by visiting the Kelowna and Vernon Hospitals website.


For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact www.buildingpatientcare.ca.

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