Maple Leaf, CPHA Launch Food-Safety Education Program

TORONTOMaple Leaf Foods, Inc. and the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) have partnered to develop a national Web-based food-safety education campaign targeted at high-risk groups, caregivers and the general population.

"Education and outreach can make a great system even better, by helping people to understand the basics of food safety and the important role they play," said Dr. Randall Huffman, Chief Food Safety Officer, Maple Leaf Foods. "Partnering with CPHA allows us to reach vulnerable groups and provide them with the information they need to handle, store and prepare foods safely for themselves and their families. Food-safety education represents an important part of our commitment to becoming a global food-safety leader. This means assisting both higher risk Canadians and the general population obtain information so that they can make good decisions when handling and preparing food."

Maple Leaf has invested more than $20 million to improve its food-safety program since its products were linked to the August 2008 Listeria outbreak that resulted in the deaths of 23 Canadians. Two meat-slicing machines at the Maple Leaf Foods plant were identified as the likely source for the Listeria outbreak. Experts pinpointed the likely source after inspections and product tests by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Other environmental factors such as a drain and the location of a freight elevator also may have contributed to the contamination, the company said.