Vancouver, Oct. 8 - Canadian investigators have found four meat products infected with listeria in a Maple Leaf Foods Inc plant that recently was reopened after an outbreak of the disease linked to at least 20 deaths, officials said Wednesday.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said on its Web site that none of the products had been put on sale because the plant was still under control of the agency in the wake of the outbreak.
Maple Leaf Chief Executive Officer Michael McCain said given that listeria exists in all food plants, it was not a surprise that a few cases had been discovered.
The Toronto plant was shut down in mid-August after infected meat products began surfacing in Canada, prompting one of the largest meat recalls in the country's history. The firm said a slicer was to blame.
McCain said the four new cases were not linked to the production line that prompted the closure of the plant. It was reopened on Sept 17.