The rise in food recalls has alarmed Canadian food experts. Rick Holley, a food authority from the University of Manitoba, told the Globe and Mail, "Right now, we're walking in a fog... We don't have any idea what foods are making us sick in this country."
Amir Attaran, research chair head for law and population health at the University of Ottawa, pointed out among North American and European Union nations, Canada has the lowest benchmarks in listeria exposure. While the U.S. has a zero tolerance policy, Ottawa permits ready-to-eat items with shelf life of less than 10 days, including hard cheeses and salami, to have up to 100 listeria bacteria for every gram.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency warned Canadians on Monday against eating a dessert which may have milk tainted with melamine. The agency named the tainted item as Nissin Cha Cha Dessert, distributed in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia by Regent Lon Marketing and Distribution. Regent immediately recalled the product after it was informed of a similar recall in Hong Kong for Nissin Foods.
The dessert had Yili Pure Milk, where melamine was discovered by food safety agencies in Hong Kong.
