Sprout Grower Shut Down by Salmonella

Sprout Grower Shut Down by Salmonella

The Calgary Herald/ Edmonton Sun/Broadcast News

February 22, 2001

 

EDMONTON — Health officials have, according to these stories, shut down an Edmonton company after it was linked to at least 27 cases of food poisoning in the past week.

 

Capital Health Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Gerry Predy was cited as saying that 27 recent cases of the illness have been identified.

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has recalled the sprouts.

 

Predy says anyone in the region who has eaten bean sprouts and is experiencing diarrhea should ask to be tested forsalmonella.

 

Predy says the product linked to the outbreak was recalled February 16th, so there shouldn’t be any more risk to the public.

 

He says symptoms of the illness usually happen within three days of eating contaminated food.

 

Signs also include cramps, fever and sometimes vomitting.

 

Predy was cited as saying that officials traced the offending sprouts back toSun Sun Food Products, which was shut down last Friday and will not reopen until officials are convinced it’s safe. Phone calls to Sun Sun were not answered Wednesday.

 

John Pelton, director of the Environmental Health department for the Calgary Regional Health Authority, was cited as saying Wednesday there is no concern about the tainted sprouts in Calgary, adding, “We have had some problems in the past with bad batches of any number of products and we got it pulled right away. We know for certain this product was distributed only in Edmonton, not here.”

 

He said one Calgary couple became ill after eating at an Edmonton restaurant recently, but that is the only connection known to this city regarding the bean sprouts.

 

Laurie Taylor is one of dozens of Edmontonians “sick as a dog and weak as a kitten” after being infected with salmonella from a local producer’s bean sprouts.

 

Taylor was quoted as saying, “I don’t blame the restaurant but the supplier.

 

I have all the symptoms. It’s just awful.”