Orangeville Banner
Register User
Close

Choked up
Friday August 29 2008
 
Michael McCain says he’s sorry.
The president and CEO for Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has issued a public apology being broadcast on television and the internet for a listeria outbreak in his company’s meat products that may be responsible for at least five — with 10 more under investigation — deaths.
The snowball effect was swift and devastating. A quick recap: Maple Leaf ready-to-eat deli meats are suspected in at least five deaths. Maple Leaf Foods Inc. recalled two of its meat brands on Aug. 17; the product recall number was up to 23 three days later. By last Saturday, the company recalled a staggering 220 product lines.
In today’s pass-the-buck society, it’s refreshing to see someone stand up and take some responsibility. But it makes the average consumer wonder how something like this could happen — especially at a century old company as large and seemingly reputable as Maple Leaf Foods Inc.
And if it could happen there, well, couldn’t it happen anywhere?
The aftermath of this tragedy is a projected $20-million in losses for Maple Leaf Foods Inc. in the form of product returns and, most importantly, factory clean-ups. And then there is the matter of the lawsuits. It also leaves the public with a lot of questions.
In his public apology, McCain talks about how his company has food safety “standards well beyond regulatory requirements,” which makes this outbreak even scarier. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is calling for a reform of food inspection regulations. It’s a shame that it takes a tragedy like this in order to create change.
We are all at the mercy of food companies. We expect that when we send our kids to school with a bologna sandwich that we’re not putting them in harms way. And while we have been led to believe that there are high standards for food safety in Canada, the Maple Leaf tragedy proves they need to be higher.