Vancouver
On any given day, 1 to 2 per cent of the population in British Columbia comes down with a bout of food poisoning. No big deal - as most victims will tell you, the discomfort usually lasts only a day.
But now an outbreak of listeriosis has become a deadly new consideration. The outbreak has been linked to 17 deaths in Canada, including one in British Columbia.
More than 50 people in the province have signed up to take part in a class-action suit against Maple Leaf Foods, Canada's largest food processing company. Tainted meat from the firm's Ontario plant has been sourced as the root of the contamination. The products were purchased in stores or used in hospitals to feed patients.
In a video posted on YouTube, Michael McCain, the president of Maple Leaf Foods apologised for the outbreak. 'This week our best efforts failed and we are deeply sorry,' he said. 'This is the toughest situation we've faced in 100 years.'
In a press conference, Mr McCain said it was unlikely that the root cause of the contamination would be determined because listeria is so widespread in the environment.
The bacterium is common in food and in nature but can cause a rare form of food poisoning called listeriosis especially among pregnant women, the elderly or individuals with a weakened immune system.