HEALTH HAZARD ALERT

CERTAIN OLD STYLE BRAND MEAT PRODUCTS PREPARED BY MARIPOSA MEATS MAY CONTAIN LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES

OTTAWA, December 18, 2008 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Mariposa Meats are warning the public not to consume the Old Style brand meat products described below because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

All "Best Before" date codes of the following Old Style brand products are affected by this alert:

Product	Size (Net wt.)	UPC
Smoked Pork Loin Chops	175 g	6 28292 80045 2
Thin Sliced Chicken Breast	350 g	6 28292 50002 4
Thin Sliced Honey Ham	450 g	6 28292 50001 7
Thin Sliced Roast Beef	375 g	6 28292 50003 1
Thin Sliced Pastrami	375 g	6 28292 50004 8
Thin Sliced Summer Sausage	350 g	6 28292 50006 2

These products have been distributed in Ontario.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with this bacteria may cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, however, infections during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

The manufacturer, Mariposa Meats, Mississauga, ON, is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers:

Mariposa Meats at 905-855-8111; or,

CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

For information on Listeria monocytogenes, visit the Food Facts web page at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/listeriae.shtml.

For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit our web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.

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