NEWS RELEASE
REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF YORK
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The Regional Municipality of York is investigating a confirmed case of listeriosis, associated with a City of Toronto resident. As a result of this investigation, York Region Public Health is notifying the public that Listeria monocytogenes was isolated in chicken salad sandwiches.
The products were distributed by Classic Foods and sold at Highland Farms Supermarkets and Classic Mobile food trucks in the City of Markham and the City of Richmond Hill between July to September 2019. The manufacturer of this product has voluntarily notified its retailers to ensure the contaminated product is not available for sale. To date, there has been no confirmation of reported illnesses in York Region linked to the consumption of this product. The originating source of the contamination is not known at this time and is still under investigation.
Listeria is a bacterium that can cause listeriosis, a serious but rare illness caused by eating foods contaminated with Listeria including unpasteurized (raw) dairy products, raw vegetables and uncooked meats. Listeria bacteria are not commonly passed from person-to-person.
If a person consumes food contaminated with Listeria, symptoms can occur anywhere from three to 70 days after ingestion and may include: vomiting, nausea, cramps, diarrhea, severe headache, constipation or fever. Some people experience only mild flu-like symptoms, however, listeriosis is of particular concern for certain high-risk groups including the elderly and people with weakened immune systems and certain chronic medical conditions (such as cancer). In pregnant women, listeriosis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labour and serious illness or death in newborn babies.
If you have eaten this product in the past 70 days and are showing any symptoms and/or are experiencing an illness, contact your health care provider.
York Region continues to monitor the situation and is working closely with the distributor and other health agencies, including the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
For more information about listeriosis, visit york.ca/health or contact York Region Public Health at 1-877-464-9675 ext. 73588. Regular business hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
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