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Bacterial Pathogens and Indicators in Ready-to-Eat Meat – April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2021

Food microbiology – Targeted surveys – Final report

Summary

A 3-year targeted surveyFootnote 1 analysed 4331 samples of ready-to-eat meat (RTE) products (deli meats, sausages, liver pâtés, poultry breast strips) for the presence of the pathogens Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), Salmonella species (spp.), and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). All samples were also tested for generic Escherichia coli (E. coli) which is an indicator of the hygienic and sanitary conditions of the food supply chain from production to the point of sale.

99.7% of the samples tested were found to be satisfactory. Salmonella spp., and S. aureus (> 102 CFU/g) were not found in any of the samples. L. monocytogenes was found in 12 of the 4331 (0.3%) samples and generic E. coli at elevated levels were found in 1 of the 4331 (0.02%) samples. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) conducted appropriate follow-up activities. There were no reported illnesses related to these products.

Overall, our survey results indicate that RTE meat products sold in Canada are generally safe for consumption, however they can occasionally be contaminated. Consequently, as with all food, and especially those that are ready for consumption without further preparation or cooking, good hygienic practices are recommended for producers, retailers and consumers.

Why was this survey conducted

The survey was conducted to generate baseline information on the quality and safety of RTE meat products sold at retail in Canada. The RTE meat product types sampled under this survey included deli meats, sausages, poultry breast strips, and liver pâtés which are all commonly consumed by CanadiansFootnote 2. Unfortunately, many of these foods have been associated with recallsFootnote 3, Footnote 4, and foodborne illness outbreaksFootnote 5, Footnote 6 and are considered to be high-risk foodsFootnote 7.

Contamination with bacterial pathogens can occur at any step in the food supply chain such as during production, processing, distribution and/or at retail, and when consumed, their presence creates the potential for foodborne illness. In an attempt to determine the cumulative effect of each step in the food supply chain on the overall quality and safety of the food, and unique to specific surveys, samples were collected as close to the product best before date as possible.

When was the survey conducted

The survey was conducted over a 3-year period from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2021, however sausages were only collected during the last 2 years of the survey.

Where were the samples collected from

Samples were collected from national retail chains and local/regional grocery stores located in the following 11 major cities across Canada:

  • Halifax
  • Saint John or Moncton
  • Quebec City
  • Montreal
  • Toronto
  • Ottawa
  • Vancouver
  • Kelowna or Victoria
  • Calgary
  • Saskatoon
  • Winnipeg

The planned number of samples to be collected from each city was based on the population of the province in which the city was located relative to the total population of Canada.

How many and what kind of samples were collected

A total of 4331 RTE meat samples were collected of which 1285 were deli meats, 1275 were poultry breast strips, 1176 were sausages and 595 were liver pâtés. A sample consisted of a single or multiple consumer sized packages of the same lot weighing at least 250g. Samples were collected as close to the best before date as possible to account for the effects of storage conditions along the food chain.

What were the samples tested for

All samples were tested for L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., S. aureus and generic E. coli. L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and S. aureus are pathogenic bacteria while generic E. coli is an indicator of the overall hygienic and sanitary conditions under which the samples have been processed, stored and transported.

What methods were used to tests the samples

Samples were analyzed using analytical methods published in Health Canada's Compendium of Analytical Methods for the Microbiological Analysis of FoodsFootnote 8 that were suitable for the testing of RTE meats.

How were samples assessed

The samples were assessed using criteria based on the principles outlined in the following Health Canada documents: Health Products and Food Branch Standards and Guidelines for Microbiological Safety of Foods – An Interpretive SummaryFootnote 9, Policy on Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat FoodsFootnote 10, and the Food and Drugs ActFootnote 11 (Section 4(1)).

Table 1 – Assessment criteria
Bacteria Satisfactory Investigative Unsatisfactory
L. monocytogenes Not detected Not applicable (category 1 Table Note a)
Detected and ≤ 102 CFU/g (category 2 Table Note a)
Detected (category 1 Table Note a)
>102 CFU/g (category 2 Table Note a)
Salmonella spp. Not detected Not applicable Detected
S. aureus ≤ 102 CFU/g > 102 and ≤ 104 CFU/g > 104 CFU/g
Generic E. coli ≤ 10 CFU/g Table Note b
≤ 102 CFU/g
> 10 and ≤ 103 CFU/g Table Note b
> 102 and ≤ 103 CFU/g
> 103 CFU/g

No assessment guidelines had been established in Canada for the presence of Salmonella spp. in RTE meat at the time of writing this report. As this bacteria is considered pathogenic to humans it's presence was assessed as unsatisfactory as it is considered to be a violation of the Food and Drugs ActFootnote 11 Section 4(1)a.

What were the survey results

99.7% of the samples tested were found to be satisfactory. Salmonella spp., and S. aureus (> 102 CFU/g) were not found in any of the samples tested. L. monocytogenes was found in 12 of the 4331 (0.3%) samples at levels of < 5 CFU/g and generic E. coli at 410 CFU/g was found in 1 of the 4331 (0.02%) samples.

Table 2 – Assessment results
Bacteria Number of samples tested Satisfactory (%) Investigative (%) Unsatisfactory (%)
L. monocytogenes 4331 4318 6 Table Note c 6 Table Note d
Salmonella spp. Not applicable 0
S. aureus 0 0
Generic E. coli 1 Table Note e 0
Total 4331 4318 (99.7) 7 (0.2) 6 (0.1)

Survey results are also presented by origin (table 3) and product type (table 4).

Table 3 – Assessment results by product origin
Product origin Number of samples tested (%) Satisfactory Investigative Unsatisfactory
Domestic 918 (21.2) 914 4 0
Import 280 (6.5) 277 3 0
Unknown Table Note f 65 (1.5) 64 0 1
Unknown Table Note f (domestically processed) Table Note g 3068 (70.8) 3063 0 5
Total 4331 4318 7 6
Table 4 – Assessment results by RTE product type
Product type Number of samples tested (%) Satisfactory Investigative Unsatisfactory
Deli meat 1285 (29.7) 1283 0 2 Table Note h
Liver pâté 595 (13.7) 594 0 1 Table Note i
Chicken or turkey breast strips 1275 (29.4) 1274 1 Table Note j 0
Sausage 1176 (27.2) 1167 6 Table Note k 3 Table Note l
Total 4331 4318 7 6

What do the survey results mean

Previous CanadianFootnote 12 and U.S.Footnote 13 studies on the microbial safety of RTE meats have shown results approximating those in our study. Differing prevalence rates between studies may be attributable to differences in product types tested, methodology, study design, etc.

Overall, our survey results indicate that RTE meat products sold in Canada are generally safe for consumption, however they can be infrequently contaminated. Consequently, as with all food, and especially those that are ready for consumption without further preparation or cooking, good hygienic practices are recommended for producers, retailers and consumers.

What is done with the survey results

All results are used to:

  • inform risk management decisions
  • support program design and re-design

While no illness were related to the investigative and unsatisfactory samples, these results triggered appropriate follow-up actions including:

  • facility inspections
  • additional sampling and testing
  • removal of affected products from the marketplace

Can I access the survey data

Yes. The data will be accessible on the Open Government Portal.

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