TORONTO, March 4 /CNW/ - Maple Leaf Foods today issued the following
statement:
    A Canadian Press story of March 4 suggesting Maple Leaf Foods and CFIA
officials "discussed food safety in relation to listeria" before last summer's
outbreak is misleading and irresponsible in the context of on the record
statements from the parties involved in the discussion.
    "While we welcome open discussion of the outbreak in any and all reviews
to ensure appropriate lessons are drawn from this tragedy, we take the
strongest possible exception to any inference that we withheld information
from the public," said Michael McCain, President and CEO.
    Maple Leaf Foods has worked to be open, transparent, and factual in all
its public statements regarding this tragedy. We acted swiftly to recall
products, shut plants, to protect Canadians as soon as tests linked listeria
to our products and the outbreak. To suggest otherwise is both unfortunate and
unacceptable."
    The handwritten notes cited in the CP story reflect a general discussion
of microbial pathogens with the CFIA, including listeria. Listeria was not
discussed in the context of any food safety issue; it was discussed in the
context of US trade regulations during a routine and ongoing dialogue with the
government. At the time the meeting occurred on July 24th no one at Maple Leaf
Foods or the CFIA had any reason to believe there was a health issue involving
listeria related to Maple Leaf product.