The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is warning Canadians about a salmonella outbreak linked to frozen whole kernel corn.
On Dec. 14 and 19, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued a notification that New Alasko Limited Partnership was recalling its Alasko brand IQF whole kernel corn from the marketplace due to possible salmonella contamination. The recalled product was been sold in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec and may have been distributed in other provinces and territories.
This recall led to a separate recall for Fraser Valley Meats brand frozen whole kernel corn on Dec.18. Additional food recall warnings in Canada are possible, explains a news release.
The PHAC is collaborating to investigate an outbreak of salmonella infections involving 5 provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. The illnesses reported in Ontario were related to travel to Alberta and British Columbia.
Many of the people who got sick said they ate a variety of raw and cooked produce items before they became ill. While investigators initially linked the illnesses to fresh avocados, the PHAC notes that "more information was needed to confirm the source of the outbreak."
CFIA investigators collected food items from restaurants where ill people dined and testing found the outbreak strain "in an unopened package of Alasko brand frozen whole kernel corn."
Additionally, "traceback findings identified Alasko as the common brand of frozen corn consumed at various foodservice establishments by individuals who became sick."
As of Dec. 21, there have been 84 laboratory-confirmed cases of Salmonella Enteritidis illness investigated in:
- British Columbia (36)
- Alberta (30)
- Saskatchewan (4)
- Manitoba (12)
- Ontario (2)
Individuals became sick between early September 2021 and late November 2021. Four individuals have been hospitalized but no deaths have been reported.
What you should do
The following advice applies to individuals, as well as retailers, distributors, manufacturers and food service establishments such as hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals and long-term care homes, across Canada:
- Do not eat, use, sell or serve any recalled Alasko brand or Fraser Valley Meats brand frozen whole kernel corn.
- Clean and sanitize all surfaces and storage areas that recalled Alasko brand or Fraser Valley Meats brand frozen whole kernel corn may have come in contact with, including countertops, containers, utensils, freezers, and refrigerators.
- If you have been diagnosed with a Salmonella infection or any other gastrointestinal illness, do not cook food for other people.
For general use of frozen vegetables, including frozen corn, the following tips will also help reduce your risk of becoming ill:
- Frozen vegetables are not ready to eat products. Always remember to cook frozen vegetables according to the package directions.
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling frozen vegetables.
- Wash and sanitize any surfaces that may have come in contact with frozen vegetables and its packaging, such as countertops, containers, utensils, freezers, and refrigerators.
Food contaminated with salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections. Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.
