The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has ordered a province-wide recall of all mung bean sprout products distributed by a Toronto-based manufacturer after a salmonella outbreak affecting hundreds was linked to the popular vegetable.

The recall order on mung bean sprouts distributed by Toronto Sun Wah Trading, Inc. (also known as Hollend Enterprises, Inc.) was issued late last night after 15 Kingston residents developed salmonella poisoning after eating mung bean sprouts - a vegetable found in everything from Chinese food to deli sandwiches.

The company has since voluntarily recalled all mung bean sprout products from grocery store shelves, distributors, and restaurants.

“Toronto Sun Wah Trading, Inc. wishes to confirm that its bean sprouts are manufactured under stringent government-inspected, state of the art, production facilities,” the company said in a statement. “There are no traces of salmonella in our products confirmed at this point. However, at the request of the CFIA, we are voluntarily recalling our product.”

Yesterday, Dr. Sheela Basrur, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, confirmed the province is experiencing an outbreak of salmonella. Since the beginning of November, there have been 269 cases of laboratory-confirmed cases of salmonella poisoning throughout the province.

And that number is only growing, said David Jensen, spokesperson for the ministry of health. “It’s an outbreak,” he said today. “On a regular basis, we see 20 to 25 cases of salmonella cases in Ontario, even as high as 40. But the numbers are increasing because we’re still in November.”

Peter Alexander, spokesperson for the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors, which supplies about 85 per cent of groceries on shelves to more than 25,000 grocery stores across Canada, said all member stores and distribution centres responded to the outbreak by pulling all bean sprout products off their shelves, even before a province-wide recall was issued.

“As soon as we learned of the concerns expressed in Kingston, we did not yet have any official word on a province-wide recall. But we prepared for one anyway,” Alexander said.

“As a result, we were able to ensure all fresh sprouts were recalled from member shelves by late (Thursday) evening.”

The illness, which can be spread from person-to-person and can be especially debilitating in children and elderly people, can spawn numerous symptoms including diarrhea, nausea, and fever.

The bacteria - which can be found in the intestines of poultry and cattle - can contaminate food if it comes in contact with unclean water, animal manure, or an infected food handler.

While officials with the CFIA and the provincial ministry of health have narrowed their investigation to contaminated mung bean sprouts, they are still investigating how the contamination happened.

“There can be various modes of possible contamination,” said Davendra Sharma, spokesperson for the CFIA's Office of Food Safety and Recall. “We haven’t determined if the sprouts have been in contact with manure or unclean water. The exact source of contamination has not been established.”

About 21 affected public health units across the province are continuing to investigate the outbreak along with the health ministry, and the CFIA says more recall orders may be forthcoming.

“The outbreak investigation is continuing, so if other products are identified from which the consumer might be affected we will definitely take the appropriate action in terms of notifying the public,” said Sharma.

“But the linkage has to be established.”

In the meantime, health officials are advising people to avoid eating foods containing mung bean sprouts until the source of the contamination has been confirmed.

Source