Canada Sees Wave of Food Recalls as Cheese, Salads and Meal Kits Face Listeria Alerts
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Canada has seen a string of food recalls and consumer warnings tied to Listeria monocytogenes over the past several days. The wave began with a national alert involving cheese ingredients included in certain HelloFresh and Chefs Plate meal kits on March 30, then widened on April 2 and April 3 to include multiple cheese products sold across the country, along with prepared salads and region-specific products.
The biggest file was a national recall covering cheese products sold under several brands, including Paradise Island Cheese, Bothwell, Only Goodness and Western Family, with some products also distributed to hotels, restaurants and institutions. CFIA said the recall was linked to possible listeria contamination and that its food safety investigation remains ongoing. No illnesses had been reported in connection with those products at the time of the alert.
In a related case, CFIA updated its national recall involving certain HelloFresh and Chefs Plate meal kits on April 2 to include cheese ingredients such as shredded Parmesan, cheese curds, feta, goat cheese and mozzarella. The agency said the warning had originally been issued on March 30 and was later expanded to add more affected products, while noting that no illnesses had been reported at the time of the update.
More geographically limited recalls were also issued. In British Columbia, Freshprep brand Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad with Feta & Pita Chips was recalled over the same risk, with no illnesses reported. In British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, CFIA recalled CO OP brand Creamy Garlic and Spinach Salad sold clerk served in stores. A separate Ontario recall was also issued for Auricchio Taleggio D.O.P. Cheese, 200 grams, because of possible listeria contamination.
CFIA has advised consumers not to eat, sell, serve or distribute any recalled products, and to either throw them out or return them to the place of purchase. The agency also warns that food contaminated with listeria may not look or smell spoiled, even when it is unsafe. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness, with pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems facing higher risk.
