Food Expert Says Canada's Listeria Testing Rules Don't Go Far Enough

OTTAWA — One of the federal government’s expert advisors on food safety says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s newly released listeria testing rules for ready-to-eat meats likely don’t go far enough for large operations.

The agency on Friday unveiled tougher rules after reviewing testing protocols in the wake of last summer’s deadly listeriosis outbreak traced to ready-to-eat meats produced at a Maple Leaf plant in Toronto.

The company found listeria building up “deep inside” two slicing machines was the most likely source.

As of April 1, operators producing deli meats and hot dogs must begin testing food-contact surfaces up to once a week per line and look for trends in the results to catch potential problems.

This is the first time the agency is spelling out a prescriptive timetable for such testing. And all positive tests must be reported immediately to agency inspectors, who will be required to increase the frequency of their own monitoring tests.

Operators will also be required to test meat products for possible listeria contamination up to 12 times a year.

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