4 people in Ontario sickened with listeriosis amid beef tongue recall: ministry

The Ontario Ministry of Health says four people have been sickened after consuming beef tongue believed to be contaminated with listeria.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recalling many brands of jellied beef tongue sold in various Ontario stores.

Many of the products were served to customers by store clerks and others were pre-packaged.  

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The food inspection agency says it's conducting an investigation that may lead to more products being recalled.

It says people should check to see if they have the recalled beef tongue and either throw it out or return it to the store.

The agency says food contaminated with listeria may not look or smell spoiled but can still make people sick.

Symptoms of listeriosis — the illness caused by the listeria bacteria — can include vomiting, fever, muscle aches, severe headache and a stiff neck, the recall notice said.

People who are elderly or have weakened immune systems are especially at risk for becoming seriously ill.

Pregnant women are also at risk because even though they may only have mild flu-like symptoms, listeriosis can lead to premature delivery, infect the newborn and possibly cause stillbirth.

Listeriosis can be fatal in severe cases, the recall notice said.

As of Monday, the recalled jellied beef tongue products were from: Summerhill Market, Wagener's Meat Products, Battaglia's Marketplace, Brandt Meats, Angelos Italian Bakery Market, Starsky Fine Foods, Staropolskie Delikatesy, The Wild Hog Country Market, Oceans Fresh Food Market, Pusateri's , Stemmler's Meats & Cheese Retail Store, Italo Foods, Yummy Market, Coppas, Whitehouse Bloor, McEwan Shops, Scheffler's Deli, and Vincenzo's. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.