Canada food company recalls listeria-contaminated hot dogs

Listeria monocytogenes (File Photo)
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OTTAWA, Feb. 24 (Chinese media) -- 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.