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CFIA/Expanded Health Hazard Alert: Ready-to-Eat Meat Products May Contain Listeria Monocytogenes

Audio clips available at www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/relations/indexaude.shtml.

The public warning issued on August 17, 2011 has been expanded to include all ready-to-eat meat products sold from Beverly Meats (1995) Ltd.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the ready-to-eat meat products described below because these products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

All ready-to-eat meat products sold from Beverly Meats (1995) Ltd. located at 4018 - 118 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta on or after August 4, 2011, up to and including August 17, 2011 are affected by this alert. The affected products do not have any date codes or lot numbers.

Consumers who have purchased ready-to-eat meat products from Beverly Meats (1995) Ltd. and are unsure of the purchase date are advised not to consume these products.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with this bacteria may cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, however, infections during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

The manufacturer and retailer, Beverly Meats (1995) Ltd., 4018- 118 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers:

Beverly Meats (1995) Ltd. at 1-780-479-3737

CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

For information on Listeria monocytogenes, visit the Food Facts web page at:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/listeriae.shtml.

For information on all food recalls, visit the CFIA's Food Recall Report at: http://active.inspection.gc.ca/eng/corp/recarapp_dbe.asp.

To find out more about receiving recalls by e-mail, and other food safety facts, visit: www.foodsafety.gc.ca. Food and consumer product recalls are also available at http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca.