Brenda Branswell
The Gazette
March 8, 2010

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it is tracing where a potentially tainted food additive was distributed in Canada and what products it was used in. It’s also assessing whether those products pose a health risk, though the agency says on its website that the risks related to this contamination “are considered to be very low.”

The discovery of salmonella in processing equipment at a Las Vegas plant has sparked a recall of food products in Canada and the United States that contain a popular flavour enhancer. Hydrolyzed vegetable protein is used in many processed foods, including soups, sauces, stews, dips and dressings.

Two types of veggie dip – T. Marzetti-brand Spinach and Southwest Ranch – and potato chips sold under the Hawaiian Kettle banner have been recalled in Canada. The list of recalled products in the United States is much longer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said it could potentially result in one of the largest food recalls in North America.

“We don’t want to prejudge the investigation. We’ll see what it bears out,” said Tim O’Connor, a spokesperson with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. “And if any products are identified which pose a risk to consumers, a recall notice will be issued.

“There is concern in that this is a product used in a wide variety of products,” O’Connor added. “The question becomes how much of this basic ingredient has been used in products, which are in Canada. And the investigation of that continues.”

The agency also will look at which products were heat-treated after the ingredient was added and which weren’t, O’Connor said. “And therefore, which pose a risk to consumers and then what is that level of risk?”

The ingredient is often added to processed foods, which are prepared using processes that kill salmonella, the agency noted. Many foods that contain the additive also are cooked by consumers in ways that would destroy the bacteria. However, the agency said some ready-to-eat foods can be made in ways that wouldn’t kill salmonella and might pose a risk to consumers if the recalled ingredient were used.

Basic Food Flavors Inc. of Las Vegas has recalled all the paste and powder hydrolyzed vegetable protein that it has produced since Sept. 17, 2009.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency couldn’t say Sunday how much of the potentially contaminated flavour enhancer was sent to Canada. It also didn’t add any new products to the recall list.

Agency staff will talk to the companies that bought the flavour enhancer, said food safety recall specialist Davendra Sharma. Staff go through “the whole supply chain” to find out when, where and how much of the product was distributed, he said.

They also look at who received it and what they did with it. “Was it used to make some product where it was all cooked,” Sharma said. “Then the bacteria would have been all killed. That’s not a risk.”

A risk assessment with Health Canada will determine whether a product requires any action, he said.

As for when the agency will know the complete picture in Canada, Sharma said: “It could take some time.”




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