The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responding to a series of findings that show high occurrences of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in imported enoki mushrooms from South Korea and China. The CFIA has issued several recall warnings of various brands of raw enoki mushrooms sold to consumers at retail.
Retail and food service businesses play an important role in helping to control this food safety risk. Such businesses include grocery stores, farmers markets, convenience stores, hotels, restaurants and institutions.
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can make people sick and, in some cases, lead to miscarriage or death. Those individuals who are most vulnerable include people with weakened immune systems, pregnant people and their developing fetuses, and adults aged 60 and over.
It is important that measures be taken during the distribution of raw enoki mushrooms, including at the retail level, to prevent the sale of contaminated product.
Your regulatory responsibilities
Retail and food service businesses are required to sell and serve food that is safe, and consumers rely on you to offer products that meet Canada's food safety standards.
You should consider the following guidance to control the risks associated with raw enoki mushrooms.
Source product from reputable suppliers
If the product originates from another country or another province, work with your supplier to verify that the raw enoki products you are buying were sourced from an SFC-licensed food business.
Confirm the harvest date and recommended shelf life of the products you are receiving through your supplier
Use this information to inform your retail or service practices. Enoki mushrooms should not be sold to consumers beyond a reasonable shelf life.
- Products that have been in the supply chain for a longer time may have elevated levels of Listeria monocytogenes.
- Manage your inventory by using the verified "harvested on" or "packaged on" dates. When this information is present on the packaging it also helps consumers to make informed choices.
Keep enoki mushrooms refrigerated at 4°C or below
- Temperature controls are critical to limiting the growth of Listeria monocytogenes.
- Confirm that your supplier has appropriate temperature controls in place during transportation and storage. Review your own handling practices to ensure product is properly refrigerated at all times.
Traceability requirements for retailers
All businesses that sell food to consumers at retail must document, or have access to documents, that trace products back to their immediate supplier.
- These documents must include information on the dates that the products were provided to you, as well as the name and address of your supplier.
- You must provide this information to CFIA inspectors when they request it.
You can find more information on the CFIA Fact Sheet: Traceability.
Enforcement
The CFIA may conduct inspection activities to verify that establishments are complying with the applicable regulatory requirements. The CFIA will take regulatory response where it finds non-compliance. Actions the CFIA can take include seizing or detaining products, issuing fines, or prosecuting.
More information
- Notice to industry: new licence requirements for enoki mushrooms
- Notice to Industry: Listeria monocytogenes in imported Enoki mushrooms
- Notice to Industry: Update to Listeria monocytogenes in imported Enoki mushrooms
- Compliance and enforcement activities
- Traceability for food
Contact us
For more information, you can contact CFIA online.
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