Bacteria Found in Sandwiches

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WILLOUGHBY, Ohio -- The Ohio Department of Agriculture's Consumer Analytical Laboratory has confirmed a positive test for listeria monocytogenes in a submarine sandwich collected from a Circle K c-store in Willoughby, Ohio. No known human illness has been associated with this discovery.

A sample of an American Submarine sandwich was taken by a state agriculture department food safety inspector on August 18, from the Circle K location, the agency said. The sandwich provider for Circle K stores, Landshire Inc., Bellville, Ill., has requested all stores immediately remove the product from [image-nocss] their shelves.

As part of Ohio Department of Agriculture's efforts to safeguard Ohio's food supply, routine food samples are taken from retail food establishments, distribution warehouses and other locations throughout the state and are brought back to the department's state-of-the-art laboratories. Department scientists conduct tests to detect foodborne bacteria, such as listeria monocytogenes, E. coli 0157:H7, and salmonella.

Health officials have not connected this discovery to an outbreak of listeriosis in Canada. Three more deaths have been officially linked to listeriosis in Ontario, the Public Health Agency of Canada said Thursday, according to a Canwest News Service report. Listeriosis is now confirmed to be an underlying or contributing cause in eight deaths in the province, while four others are under investigation. Three other deaths across Canada, one each in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Quebec, are also under investigation. In all, there have been 29 confirmed cases of listeriosis across Canada, including 22 in Ontario, four in British Columbia, two in Quebec and one in Saskatchewan.

On August 19, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a recall of Maple Leaf Foods Inc. sliced corned beef, roast beef, pepperoni, salami, sausages, smoked ham, and turkey thought to be contaminated with the bacteria listeria monocytogenes The number of food products recalled has since risen to 220, including packaged sandwiches made with the tainted meat, with a total estimated value of $20 million.

Lucerne Foods on Thursday issued a recall of Safeway and TakeAwayCafe brand sandwiches. In total, the recall involved 28 different types of sandwiches from Safeway brand Gold Standard sandwiches, and TakeAwayCafe brand Mac 's sandwiches. These sandwiches have already been sent out across Canada, being sold at convenience stores, and other locations. Some of the sandwiches may contain deli meats that were recalled by Maple Leaf Foods Inc. No illnesses or deaths have been directly related to the sandwiches.

Click herefor the Public Health Agency of Canada's webpage about the current outbreak, including a list of recalled products.

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Food & Drug Administration said they found strong evidence to implicate jalapeno and serrano peppers, and a farm in Mexico, in the largest outbreak of foodborne illness in a decade. Investigators were unable to clear domestic and imported tomatoes, however, although the evidence against tomatoes is weaker.

The FDA also lifted its warning that consumers avoid eating jalapeno and serrano peppers from Mexico.

The CDC said the outbreak began in late April, and that by early August the number of new cases had fallen to levels that would be considered normal. Most victims got sick during May and June. And there have been no new restaurant clusters of cases since early July.

Texas was the hardest-hit state, accounting for nearly 40% of the all confirmed cases. People were sickened in 43 states and Washington, D.C.

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