Four recent listeria-related product recalls highlight the multiple ways the government agency responsible for food safety can address problems. 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued recalls on plant-based milk products (in July), frozen pancakes and waffles, beef jelly products and pork jelly products (October), all related to listeria, as part of its mandate. “Mitigating risk to food safety is the CFIA’s highest priority, and the health and safety of Canadians is the driving force behind the design and development of CFIA programs,” notes the organization’s web site. 

CFIA has multiple responsibilities in Canada’s food sector beyond safety. But the multiple listeria recalls showcase how complex safety issues can get CFIA’s attention. 

A CFIA release in early October summarized the findings of its investigation into the plant-based beverages sold under the Silk and Great Value (Walmart house brand) names. The investigation was triggered when Public Health Ontario informed them of an outbreak of listeriosis illness, and its detection in a sample of Silk unsweetened coconut milk on June 20. The recall warning was issued on July 8, and affected plant lines at the Joriki plant in Pickering, Ontario were shut down. 

CFIA was not able to confirm the source of the contamination, but the facility “did not properly implement environmental swabbing and finished product testing in adherence to Health Canada’s [policies].” Production will not resume until “significant cleanup and renovations” are completed and “necessary safety measures are in place, and until we are confident that the risk of contamination has been eliminated.” 

CFIA also noted that the Joriki facility was not considered high-risk in its 2021 risk assessment, which considered scientific data, type of food, and manufacturing processes. “As such, the CFIA did not conduct a licence inspection prior to its investigation.” It said it had visited the plant in response to consumer complaints about potential allergens, off-taste and mould. “Joriki was provided with corrective actions to be undertaken.” 

The reactive, rather than proactive respose is because CFIA uses risk assessments to prioritize inspections. “It is not physically or financially feasible for CFIA inspectors to inspect every food, animal and plant product regulated in Canada. We use a risk informed approach and modelling to target those establishments or products most likely not to meet Canadian standards and regulations.” 

The CFIA web site includes information about how its risk assessments were developed, and how they use data and algorithms to evaluate regulated parties, in terms of food safety risks. This helps “identify areas of higher risk and inform where CFIA inspectors should be spending more time.” It says its models are “designed to adapt quickly to emerging global and scientific trends, new risk and changes within the industry.”

There are links to 21 other pages with information about risk-modelling. The page for Establishment-based Risk Assessment says its model uses scientific data as well as establishment-specific information gathered from questionnaires provided to regulated parties through My CFIA, which indicates that there is an element of ‘self-assessment’ in the compilation of the risk profile. Frequency of inspections will be guided by the risk assessment and “higher risk establishments will require more oversight.” 

So while the risks can be self-assessed and self-reported, so can the infractions. 

The frozen pancake and waffle recall was initiated by the manufacturer, Treehouse Foods, by its own routine testing at the manufacturing facility in Brantford, Ontario. CFIA listed the products affected, which were mostly retailers’ ‘house brands’ such as Compliments, Great Value, Selection and President’s Choice, as well as selected ‘name brands’ such as Duncan Hines. The U.S. recall has hundreds of affected brands listed. 

The CFIA releases on the recalls of 27 beef jelly products and 13 ham jelly products both indicate the recalls were “triggered by findings by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency during its investigation into a food borne illness outbreak.” The notice lists only product names and retailers, not the manufacturer(s). There is some overlap between the beef and ham product names and retailers, suggesting it could be an issue at a few or a single (unnamed) manufacturers.