V&T Meat and Food of Calgary, Alberta, and Hiep Thanh Trading of Edmonton, Alberta, are recalling certain raw pork products from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Consumers, food service establishments, retailers, distributors and manufacturers in Alberta should not consume, serve, use, or sell certain raw pork products sold by these two retailers/distributors because the raw pork products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The affected raw pork products have only been distributed in Alberta. All raw pork products sold from these locations during the identified time periods are affected by this recall.
Company name | Address | City | Affected Selling Dates |
---|---|---|---|
V&T Meat and Food | 3012-17 Avenue SE, #6 | Calgary, AB | Between July 14, 2014 and September 2, 2014, inclusively |
Hiep Thanh Trading | 10718-98 Street NW | Edmonton, AB | Between July 10, 2014 and September 3, 2014, inclusively |
These raw pork products may have been sold by other retailers. Consumers who are unsure if they have the affected products are advised to check with their retailer. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), this recall was triggered by the E. coli O157:H7 foodborne outbreak investigation led by Alberta Health Services and is supported by CFIA. Alberta Health Services and CFIA are verifying that industry is removing recalled product from the marketplace. The E. coli outbreak investigation is ongoing, and no confirmed sources of the illnesses have yet been named. As of Sept. 3, Alberta Health Services gave the total confirmed case count as 153, with at least 17 people hospitalized. CFIA has not announced a definite link between the recalled raw pork products and this outbreak; however, earlier reports stated that 80 percent of the confirmed E. coli cases were associated with a locally produced and distributed food and with Asian-style restaurants in Edmonton and Calgary during the last two weeks of July. E. coli infections are generally caused when a person eats food or drinks water that is contaminated with human or animal feces, or through direct contact with a person who is sick or animals that carry the bacteria. Proper hygiene and safe food handling and preparation practices are key to preventing the spread of E. coli. To reduce the risk of infection, consumers should wash hands with hot, soapy water often; cook beef to at least 160 degrees F; thoroughly wash vegetables and fruits before eating; thoroughly wash all kitchen tools and surfaces that have touched raw meat, and use only pasteurized milk, dairy and juice products.