OTTAWA, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Canada's biggest food
company is recalling over 26,000 packages of wieners Tuesday after they were
mistakenly shipped despite some of the hot dogs testing positive for listeria.
The accident was "clearly not acceptable," said Maple
Leaf Foods Company, whose listeria-contaminated deli meat caused the death of at
least 20 people last year.
President and CEO Michael McCain said in a press
release Tuesday that corrective actions have been taken and no illnesses have
been reported so far after the recalled hot dogs were circulated in the
marketplace for about a week.
The recall is another public relations blow to Maple
Leaf, which has been dealing with the aftermath of one of the largest food-borne
illnesses in Canadian history.
The company has agreed to pay up to 125,000 Canadian
dollars (about 100,000 U.S. dollars) to individuals with serious and
long-lasting physical injuries resulting from a listeriosis outbreak linked to
one of its Toronto plants last summer.
The outbreak killed at least 20 people and triggered
the largest meat recall in Canadian history.
