ONTARIO: Maple Leaf Food enhanced safety protocols performing as designed

24.jan.09
from a press release

TORONTO -- While listeria exists in all ready-to-eat plants and presents an
exceptionally low risk, Maple Leaf has implemented industry leading practices to
detect and eradicate listeria, which are performing as designed.
The finding of listeria in a food plant may occur daily. The goal of a well designed
program is to generate those findings, create data patterns for additional
investigations and to use the results of these findings on a daily basis to
eradicate it at the location in which it was found. The greater food safety risk to
the Canadian public are those plants which are not finding positive results, largely
due to the inexistence or lack of penetration of a properly designed testing
program.
Recent evidence of routine detection of listeria at the Company's Coppola plant was
evidence of a properly functioning protocol, with a successful outcome for food
safety and the Canadian public. Additionally, this plant produces predominantly dry
cured meats, which don't promote the growth of listeria so pose considerably low
health risk according to Health Canada. There was and is no food safety risk to the
public. The Company is working cooperatively with the CFIA, who have confirmed there
is no food safety risk. There is no investigation underway; the CFIA is at the plant
verifying and validating the unprecedented levels of data that Maple Leaf has
shared.
"Our food safety protocols are working and we have implemented the highest food
safety practices in Canada, well above government and industry standards," said
Michael H. McCain, President and CEO. "The greatest risk to the Canadian food safety
system is the multitude of Canadian plants which do not find positive test results
simply because they don't test adequately. If you test, you will find and you can
eradicate with the proper protocols. If you don't test, you won't find, but there
will be no eradication which is the real food safety risk in this country."
Key features of the Maple Leaf enhanced environmental and product testing protocols
include:
- A program of testing daily in plants, designed to find listeria that is known to
always exist in a ready to eat food plant. It is at or above the most rigous testing
protocol in North America.
- Over the past three months Maple Leaf has collected over 42,300 test results
across its 24 packaged meat plants. This represents an average of 1,760 results per
plant. This level of listeria testing is an unprecedented level of testing to
provide an early warning system.
- Our rate of positives tests across our plants is consistently less than 1%, which
is 50-80% better than industry data available from the U.S.
- All test results are maintained in an analytical data base to monitor and review
results constantly, and allow investigative analysis for patterns
- The Company treats all positives in the most aggressive way possible to ensure the
safety of our products. Tests detect any Listeria species, which includes all six
strains of the bacteria, even though only one strain (listeria monocytogenese)
presents any risk to human health.
- Company operating, scientific and technical staff review test results and action
plans daily across the entire network.
- Product quarantine procedures have been implemented to ensure product doesn't
leave our plants if we any concerns.
- If early warning environmental testing systems indicate listeria at a plant
location, we product test at statistically relevant levels to ensure the safety of
the product.
- Maple Leaf's protocols are working and we have the highest food safety standards
in Canada. We encourage ALL food processors across the country to match this level
of rigour.
"Maple Leaf has implemented best practices of listeria testing and control in North
America," said Randy Huffman, Chief Food Safety Officer. "While this provides an
excellent early detection system, the Company's commitment to food safety will
involve ongoing investment, training and adoption of global best practices."