China bars Canada deli meat after 12 dead

TORONTO, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Products from Canada's largest meat processor suspected behind 12 listeriosis deaths has been barred from import by China, federal officials said.

Last week, Mexico was the first country to stop imports of Maple Leaf Foods meats, and China followed suit, the Canwest News Service reported Tuesday from Toronto.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said as of Monday, there were 38 confirmed cases and 21 suspected cases of listeriosis across the country being investigated by the CFIA to determine if the same strain of the deadly bacteria is responsible, the report said.

Maple Leaf initiated a partial recall of packaged deli meats on Aug. 17 when the bacteria was found at a Toronto processing plant. Days later, the company recalled all of its products -- more than 220 varieties -- even if they weren't handled at the Toronto facility.

Chinese officials said late last week they would no longer allow imports of Maple Leag sausage casings, but CFI spokesman Paul Mayers told Canwest the casings come from a different facility and aren't affected by the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium.

"We're working with China to explain to them that the plant impacted was not exporting products," he said.