Canadian food processors, retailers, distributors, institutions,  trade associations,  government agencies and listeria experts came together last Friday,  in the spirit that Food Safety should not be treated as a competitive issue, to discuss global best practices in food safety at our ThinkFOOD! Centre in Mississauga.  What united us was our shared concern in understanding the latest  thinking on food safety broadly, but specifically in recent practices and research findings  on Listeria  prevalence, persistence  and  growth control technologies, so we  as an RTE (ready-to-eat) food industry can continue to do a better job of protecting  public health.  

The focus of this food safety symposia was on Listeria – as the company behind the listeriosis outbreak that resulted in 22 deaths listeria control is  one of our highest food safety priorit ies .  The Listeria presentations focused on two general themes:

1) Listeria monocytogenes is pervasive in the food environment

2) The critical importance of preventing growth of Listeria to high numbers in foods. 

Dr. Martin Wiedmann from Cornell University and Dr. Kathy Glass from the University of Wisconsin, who both presented, are leading scientists in this area.  

Dr. Weidmann  presented compelling data to show Listeria monocytogenes has widespread distribution, from very pristine environments to urban environments as well as food processing plants, retail stores, and home refrigerators. His evaluation of the genetic analysis of strains that are known to be persistent in seafood plants was very relevant to our understanding of control in RTE food plants.   Listeria is different from other pathogens as the concentration level  at the time of consumption determines whether people become ill. We also know that vulnerable populations such as the elderly, pregnant women and people who have compromised immune systems are more susceptible to foodborne illnesses.  Listeria it is also different from other pathogens in that it  can grow at low temperatures, however higher storage temperatures speed its growth. The key  for preventing illness is to keep foods that could contain Listeria  below 4ºC.  We learned from Dr. Glass, based on modeling done  in the US , that reducing refrigeration temperatures in the supply chain from current levels to consistently below 5ºC could reduce the number of cases of listeriosis in the United States from 2,500 to just 28!

The researchers also spoke to ingredients that  ingredients that can be used that further control the growth of Listeria.  Ingredients such as lactates and diacetates, which are very common and safe food ingredients that  can function to raise the pH level and inhibit the bacteria’s growth  are widely used in the U.S. Now approved for use in Canada, we are actively pursuing adding these ingredients to our products in addition to exploring the use of emerging technologies that can also be successful in mitigating risk against foodborne pathogens.

Our plan is to hold these Food Safety conferences annually bringing together our peers, government agencies, industry and others as the opportunity for learning and sharing global best practices in food safety is endless.   

On October 23,  leaders across the Canadian food industry and government are coming together to share information and learn about emerging technologies and science, in order to produce safer food for Canadians.

The food safety symposium entitled “Enhancing Our Knowledge and Capabilities to Produce Safer Food” is the first gathering of its kind since the new Canadian Listeria policy was put into place after the lessons learned from last year’s Listeria crisis.

The symposium features presentations from Canada’s leading health and regulatory experts including Jane Billings, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Health Agency of Canada, who will discuss foodborne illness trends and public health initiatives in Canada.  Dr. Brian Evans, Executive Vice President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, (CFIA) will discuss his agency’s regulatory approach and challenges and opportunities related to implementation of the new Listeria new policy.  Global experts in communication, detection and control will present the latest findings in testing and use of antimicrobials to build an effective Listeria management program, and discuss how to effectively communicate risk.  The event is hosted by Maple Leaf Foods.

Symposium presenters:

Jane Billings, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Health Agency of Canada

Dr. Brian Evans, Executive Vice President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Dr. Kathy Glass, Associate Director, Food Research Institute, University of Wisconsin

Dr. Peter Sandman, Risk Communications Consultant

Dr. Martin Wiedmann, Associate Professor, Department of Food Science, Cornell University

Dr. Randall Huffman , Chief Food Safety Officer, Maple Leaf Foods

Iain Stewart, Senior Vice President, Transformation & Food Safety, Maple Leaf Consumer Foods

In a recent government research study nearly seven-in-ten (69%) people said they wished they had more information about food safety, including how to protect themselves and their families from foods that pose a health risk. The vast majority – 75% – said they want to get this information through the Internet. 

Over the past year we’ve looked at lots of ways to reach people about the importance of food safety. It’s not an easy topic and not one we own (people want to hear from agencies responsible, like Health Canada or CFIA), but one where we can and will contribute. There’s lots we can and are doing to become a global food safety leader and it’s our job to make food as safe as possible, but there’s also lots that consumers can do to further protect themselves and their families and practice good food safety. 

This week we launched a new Maple Leaf website which is a huge leap forward in reaching consumers. Its taken us over two years in the making and it’s a great site with neat gadgets like meal planning tools, recipes, cooking and shopping tips, and most importantly food safety insights through clicking on “food safety at home” at the top right of the home page.  

I think this website is one of the coolest food sites out there, it’s interactive, informative and highlights where Maple Leaf is going as a company.

We hope you will visit and welcome your feedback!!