Monday 8 September 2008

Health officers considering cold shoulder for cold cuts

In the wake of a massive listeria eruption believed to have killed 13 Canadians, provincial chief health officers have been talking some taking delicatessen meats off the menus of health institutions.


'The bugs are all around us. We can't get away from these.'� Dr. Subash Sad, National Research Council

The listeria was in luncheon meats processed at a Maple Leaf plant in Toronto and distributed across the res publica. The remember began with one production Aug. 17, and eventually expanded to include hundreds.


The contamination and the resulting deaths make led health officers across the land to reconsider a 2005 recommendation from Health Canada that food shop meats non be served to the great unwashed with compromised immune systems. That recommendation has not been implemented, as has a like one regarding unpasteurized dairy products.


Since the recall, provincial chief health officers get had deuce conference calls on the issue.


"Deli meats are quite controversial and from what we can buoy find out at this stage no province has put knocked out an overall ban on deli meats in institutions," P.E.I. surrogate chief wellness officer Dr. Lamont Sweet told CBC News Wednesday.

Dr. Lamont Sweet said provinces have yet to decide on an outright ban. (CBC)

"We'll notice out more in the next teleconferencing, because the whole issue is going to be discussed and we'll get more entropy on that."


Some of the Canadians world Health Organization got disturbed with listeriosis from the tainted kernel ate the food in hospital or in long-term-care facilities.


Dr. Subash Sad, a microbiologist with the National Research Council of Canada, is convinced there is little to discuss in getting the meats out of health institutions, and that it should own been through some time ago.


Further illness, he said, is inevitable.


"It's non a head of if that volition happen, but a question when. The bugs ar all about us. We can't capture away from these," aforesaid Sad.


"Especially nowadays they rump be stored for a long clip. We want to own the public convenience of holding the solid food for a longer time."


Sweet said it is besides early to say if a decision will be made to ban the meats.







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