Recalls of foods due to microbial contamination classified by the Canadian Food inspection Agency, 2000 to 2017

Recall of microbial-contaminated food products is an important intervention in preventing the transmission of foodborne illness. Here, we summarize the number and nature of foods recalled as a result of microbial contamination, classified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, for the period 1 January 2000 through 31 December 2017. A total of 10,432 food products were recalled from 2,094 recall events in Canada because of microbial contamination during this period. The meat, meat products and poultry category, followed by fishery and seafood products and nuts and edible seeds, contained the food products most commonly associated with microbial contamination. Most microbial-contaminated food products reported were recalled because of the presence bacterial pathogens. Salmonella contamination was responsible for the largest number of recall events, whereas Listeria monocytogenes contamination accounted for the greatest number of food products recalled because of microbial contamination. L. monocytogenes contamination was also most commonly associated with major food recall events, although records may be inflated because of an invested effort to prevent future L. monocytogenes outbreaks following a 2008 deli meat recall. The findings and data we present in this study will support future surveillance and analysis of microbial-contaminated food recalls in Canada.