According to information obtained by Toronto Star, 66 percent of Maple Leaf meat samples secured from hospitals and nursing residence in Toronto, still had the listeria virus. The bacteria-laced frozen meat from Canada's largest cold meat producer were found in ham, corned beef, turkey and roast beef still being fed to patients and residents of nursing homes.
According to laboratory tests made by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 17 of 26 cold meat samples collected on Aug. 14 and 15 were found positive for the pathogen. The contamination from the meat samples was as high as 20,000 listeria monocytogenes. Food experts pointed out contamination over zero is perilous because the bacteria multiplies.
Over 20 Canadians, most of them elderly, have died from eating the contaminated meat, which led to a massive recall of Maple Leaf meat products.
It is not just in nursing homes, but even right at the source as laboratory tests revealed four positive confirmations of the presence of listeriosis from samples taken at the Maple Leaf facility, which reopened Sept. 17. Paul Mayers, associate vice president of the CFIA, confirmed to media the lab findings.
Since the Maple Leaf plant resumed production, the CFIA has secured 2,700 product samples which yielded four positive test results. But Mayers said no product has been permitted by the CFIA to leave the meat plant yet.
