Foodborne Illness Outbreaks
Maple Leaf Launches Food Safety Website

by Helena Bottemiller
Oct 06, 2009, Food Safety News, Marler Clark

After Maple Leaf cold-cuts killed 22 people in Canada last year in a
Listeria outbreak, the company is launching a revamped Website, which
includes a new "food safety at home <http://www.foodsafetyathome.ca/en/>
" section that shows consumers how they can take foodborne illness
prevention into their own hands. 

"There's lots we can do and are doing to become a global food safety
leader and it's our job to make food as safe as possible, but there's
also lots that consumers can do to further protect themselves and their
families and practice good food safety," said Maple Leaf's CEO, Michael
McCain, in a blog post last week.

McCain cited polling data that showed 70 percent of Canadians wanted
more food safety information and 75 percent wanted that information via
the Web as Maple Leaf's primary reason for its new food safety Web
outreach. 

According to McCain the company's new Website offers a "huge leap
forward in reaching consumers" by providing interactive food safety
advice.

Food scientist Doug Powell, of Kansas State University, an expert in
food safety communication was unimpressed by the development.

"After the Jack in the Box E. coli O157: H7 outbreak of 1993, the one
that placed microbial food safety on American TV diner plates, the
company hired Dave Theno and developed an industry leading food safety
program," blogged Dr. Powell. 

A year after the Maple Leaf outbreak, "the company announced it has
launched a new Web site and that consumers need to do more," added
Powell. "Companies like Jack in the Box recovered because they did the
right thing--and didn't blame consumers."

Maple Leaf's food safety site outlines actions the company has taken to
improve food safety including improving sanitation, doubling
environmental testing, increasing food testing, and strengthening recall
procedures.

Maple Leaf's food safety action plan also emphasizes the role of the
consumer in preventing foodborne illness. 

"While we take steps in our own plants to make safe, great tasting food,
we encourage you to take precautions as well when you are preparing,
cooking, and storing food at home."