OTTAWA -- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a listeria warning for mushrooms sold in Ontario under the Fresh Obsessions brand.

The agency said the mushrooms have been recalled by Ravine Mushroom Farms Inc., based in Woodbridge, Ont., because they could be tainted with listeria, which causes listeriosis, a potentially deadly food-borne illness.

Sold under the Fresh Obsessions brand and labelled Ready To Serve Pre-washed Sliced White Mushrooms, the product is sold in 227 gram packages, the agency said.

The agency said there have been no reported illnesses traced to the mushrooms.

A countrywide listeriosis outbreak linked to meats produced at a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto has been blamed for 12 deaths. Maple Leaf has recalled 220 products sold across the country over fears they could contain meats tainted with listeria.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=766319

Ivanhoe Cheese Inc., based in Madoc, Ont., has pulled its cheddar, marble, Asiago, Swiss, Gouda, Parmesan, mozzarella, havarti, colby, brick, and feta cheeses with best-before dates between Feb. 20, 2009 and March 1, 2009, the agency said.

The agency said the cheeses were distributed to Ontario retail stores and could also be sold at deli counters. No illnesses have so far been linked to the products.

This latest recalls comes in the wake of a countrywide listeriosis outbreak linked to deli meats and related products produced at a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto. The condition, a food-borne illness caused by the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, has been blamed for 13 deaths, most of them in Ontario.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=769419

Over the last few months we've dealt with tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, cheese, and meat, contaminated with listeria or salmonella.  There seems to be no end to the neatly packaged hazards lurking in our grocery stores. 

C. difficile is in the headlines these days too for causing deaths in hospitals and nursing homes.  

What exactly are listeriosis, salmonella, and C. difficile?  There seems to be an assumption when the media files reports on these viruses and bacteria, that the general public understands what they are.  I have a couple of relatives who do this when referring to their acquaintances. They will go on and on about these people, referring to them by first name only, as if we know these individuals intimately, when in truth, we could fall over them in the street and not know who they were.

So, with that in mind, here is an overview of listeria, salmonella, and C. difficile.  The information here is not necessarily complete, and please, don't treat it as gospel.  While I have made every attempt to provide accurate research, I am not a medical professional.  If you're not well, please see a doctor.

Listeriosis, the big one in the news right now, is an infection caused by a bacterium often found in soil, stream water, sewage, plants, and food.  The bacterium is called Listeria monocytogenes.  Although outbreaks of listeriosis are rare, it's 25 times more lethal than salmonella.  Unlike other bacteria that can be found in food, listeria can thrive in temperatures ranging from 4C (in a refrigerator) to 37C (human body temperature).  You can't see, taste, or smell listeria in your food.

A person with listeriosis may not show any symptoms for up to 90 days from exposure. Symptoms are flu-like in nature and include:  headache, fever, body aches, cramps, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.  In rare cases, meningitis (infection of the brain and spinal cord) or septicemia (blood poisoning) can follow.  Diagnosis is made by testing blood, stool or spinal fluid.  Newborns, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women are the most likely to develop and/or succumb to listeriosis.

To prevent listeriosis:

• Avoid eating unpasteurized dairy products, soft cheeses, cold meat, or pâtés.
• Keep raw meats separated from other foods in the shopping cart at the grocery store and in the refrigerator.
• Regularly clean and disinfect your refrigerator.
• Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator or in cold water but never at room temperature.
• Wash fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Thoroughly cook meat.
• Frequently wash your hands, work surface, and all utensils used while preparing foods.

Like Mickey and Mallory in their nation-wide killing spree, Listeria monocytogenes rampaged throughout the United States, notably in 1985 (soft cheese) and again in 2002 (deli meat), racking up a grand total of 25 dead adults and 33 dead babies. A previous outbreak in Canada occurred in 1981 due to contaminated coleslaw, affecting 100 people, resulting in 9 stillbirths and 30% mortality in the 77 infected adults. I guess I am well-versed with Listeria facts, having done a pretty cool report and presentation a couple of years back. Presentations really give you the opportunity to know a bacterium really intimately - after all these years, Treponema pallidum rolls right off the tongue - not literally, of course. The syphillis-causing bacterium was the assigned subject of a high school presentation, during which I was removed from stage at my highly conservative private school as I was making the audience laugh too much (is that a crime, really).

Maple Leaf recall list: http://www.mapleleaf.ca/pdf/BartorRdProductRecallList.pdf

In any case, here is some information I have compiled on the whole affair for Canadian reference.

In addition to its ubiquitous nature, Listeria monocytogenes is an efficiently stubborn bacterium – it is able to withstand hostilities that many other bacteria cannot, such as high salt concentrations, refrigeration temperatures (< 4ºC), drying, freezing, and absence of oxygen. At sufficient numbers, the bacteria can cause the illness listeriosis, which can present serious and life-threatening symptoms. These traits make L. monocytogenes a particularly disparaged microbe in the food industry.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) enforces compliance with the Meat Inspection Act and Regulations, among other food safety and quality regulations. The CFIA has published a number of reference materials for meat processors, including the Manual of Procedures for Meat and Poultry Products, which contains guidelines for testing of microbial residues in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products. The CFIA maintains the Food Safety Enhancement Program (FSEP), which is intended to aid the development and implementation of HACCP programs in all federally registered establishments. HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) is particularly of importance in meat processing plants and is consequently widely used in said industry. This food safety assurance program follows the progression of meat as it is processed and distributed, identifies points at which contamination is most likely to enter, and establishes control methods to ensure that contamination does not occur. Monitoring, tracking and verification systems are maintained for HACCP plans.  

RTE meats are commonly implicated in foodborne illness cases as these products are not cooked prior to consumption. During processing, RTE meats are thoroughly cooked to ensure all harmful bacteria and most spoilage bacteria have been killed. According to the CFIA, there are two programs in place for RTE meats in the context of Listeria testing, in addition to existing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for all meat products: environmental monitoring in federally registered establishments, and product testing for imported RTE meat. Testing for L. monocytogenes in the environment of the processing facility is verified by the CFIA at a minimum of twice a year. Positive testing entails further sampling, product tracking or holding, and/or immediate implementation of end product testing. There is a zero-tolerance policy for the presence of Listeria in imported RTE meats.

Post-processing contamination can occur before the meats are packaged, where the bacteria then have the opportunity to proliferate in the package, particularly when the products are subjected to temperature abuse. Post-processing contamination can occur due to:

• Contamination of packaging equipment/material;
• Contamination of food-contact surfaces and utensils;
• Improper separation of pre- and post-processing areas within the facility;
• Time-temperature abuse at the cooking/cooling stage; 
• Improper handling resulting from poor employee hygiene.

The various routes that packaged products undergo before reaching a consumer’s plate are:

• storage in warehouses, if any;
• distribution in refrigerated trucks from manufacturers to retailers, restaurants, and institutions;
• further processing, packaging and/or storage at the retail/restaurant/institution level (i.e. division of meats into Styrofoam trays);
• distribution, storage and preparation at the consumer level.

The CFIA specifies the sanitation and operating conditions required of all food transport vehicles in the Manual of Procedures for Meat and Poultry Products, reinforcing HACCP principles, where the vehicle must be clean and able to maintain correct holding temperatures. Retailers, restaurants and institutions receive specification sheets and labels with the product which outline its identity, other required labelling information, and proper holding conditions, such as “keep frozen”. Proper food handling at the retail/restaurant/institution level can be reinforced by training programs, increasingly available throughout Canada. Additionally, safety at the consumer level is reinforced by consumer education programs, such as FightBac.

Though processors are ultimately responsible for ensuring the safety of their product, the food distribution chain presents many variables that complicate the assurance of a safe RTE product on the consumer’s plate.

Additional info:

http://www.foodsafetynetwork.ca/en/

No illnesses have been reported. The contamination was discovered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

The product was distributed in Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Ohio. No illnesses from the product have been reported. The contamination was discovered during routine testing by the company.

«Parmi les produits qui ont été ajoutés à la liste de rappel de l'Agence d'inspection des aliments, plusieurs étaient présents sur les comptoirs des épiceries québécoises»

Ok c'est normal, beaucoup de monde freakent... La preuve, je l'ai eue quand j'ai tenté de rejoindre Info-Santé (Savez la place que vous devez faire 8-1-1 maintenant pour appeller et qui vous informe une fois rendu dans leur boite vocale que vous devez maintenant faire le 8-1-1-...) hier pour la fièvre vertigineuse de la Co-Princesse-en-Chef-Ophélie. 30 Minutes d'attentes pour finalement perdre patience et se diriger subito-presto à l'hôpital... Anyways, la Reine vous en a déjà parlé ;)

Mais bon, je retourne à cet article qui dit aussi «Une variété de produits prêts-à-manger [...] ont aussi été ajoutés. Ces produits présentent des dates de péremption jusqu'aux et incluant les 25, 26 et 27 août [...]

Primo. Si le produit PRÊT-À-MANGER a été acheté la journée de sa fabrication (soit le 24 août) fais longtemps que le consommateur est dans la marde (sur fond de c'est le cas de le dire!)

Deuxio. Comment ça personne a allumé avant??? Y'a une boutique à l'école où nous offrons des produits de charcuterie. Lundi, nous avons enlevé le Riopelle de l'Isle, nous avions aussi rassuré notre clientèle qu'aucun des produits offert ne faisait parti de cette liste exhaustive que j'ai trouvé chez la Bleue.

À la base, ça relève d'une mauvaise transformation de la viande (température de cuisson minimale non atteinte) à la chaîne de montage. Par la suite, ce fut de la contamination croisée «La contamination croisée est causée par le passage des bactéries d'un aliment cru à un aliment cuit ou prêt à manger. Elle se transmet par l'entremise d'un aliment, des mains, d'un ustensile ou d'une surface de travail. Seul un traitement de chaleur peut éliminer les bactéries dangereuses.»

Tant et aussi longtemps que les personnes qui transforment les produits Maple-Leaf soit chez Maple-Leaf ou votre épicier du coin ne respectera pas les normes d'hygiène minimales requises, on va se retrouver avec un fiasco comme celui-là. Et plus y'a de monde qui vont dormir sur la switch en lançant des dates encore plus passées dates que leurs sandwichs, plus y'aura des histoires d'horreurs de même!

La morale de cette histoire: Plus tu voles haut et fort, plus ça fait mal quand tu tombes...

(Listeria is a bacteria that lives in the soil, water and all around us and can contaminate meat and produce alike. It rarely makes healthy people sick and even less rarely kills people unless they are in certain immunocompromised demographics such as pregnancy, in utero, children, the elderly, diabetes, cancer, HIV or AIDS infected or taking immunosuppressing medication (such as steroids). it is destroyed by pasteurization and cooking therefore we dont eat raw hamburger meat unless we know the source to be small, organic and newly slaughtered. In meat products that are cured without heat for example in hot dogs, deli and luncheon meats the bacteria can grow between curing and packaging, hence what happened this summer.)

the United States has been irradiating their meat since an e coli scare in 2000, but has it helped their listeria rates, since there are still 2500 serious cases reported per year? why not clean up the mess and then lay the meat down instead of putting it down on a mess and then irradiating it afterwards.

xox dr millie lytle nd

extra extra read all about Listeria
http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/listeriosis_gi.html

Okay.  I'm all for safety and it seems prudent to stop serving Maple Leaf products but why all meat?  Does the school district have an exclusive contract with Maple Leaf?  Shouldn't there be some clause in the contract whereby if Maple Leaf can't supply non-contaminated meat then the contract is null and void?

Seriously.  At least they aren't banning meat brought in lunches from home.

When we have any food products mass produced and shipped across the country, widespread contaminations and outbreaks are bound to happen.  It's the cost of convenience.  It's not good but it's also not surprising.  Do I even need to say what I think about class action lawsuits being initiated and advertised before the outbreak is even contained?

These are the issues I hope to poke holes in over the next few weeks, while asking how we could have handled the public relations better. Because we always can.

Financial Post, August 26 2008

Warren Kinsella's blog

For the past week, Canadians have been hearing about Maple Leaf Foods and the massive processed meat recall due to a bacterial contamination of listria, tragically leading to 12 deaths and dozens of illnesses countrywide.

Dave Fleet presents a comprehensive and straightforward analysis of the communication undertaken by the Maple Leaf. The company takes full responsibility and has gone so far as to indicate the buck stops with them.

In light of this, a $100 million national class-action lawsuit has been launched on behalf of all consumers who purchased contaminated meat. The company’s CEO has stated that it is not about lawyers or accountants despite the expecting a $20 million revenue loss.

Although apologies are proven to lessen the incidence of litigation in accidental crises, it is already too late to keep the multiple law firms from pursuing massive monetary compensation; notwithstanding the swift apology, litigation is underway.

While it is important to educate the public and express genuine sorrow and empathy for victims in a crisis, does taking the blame before an investigation is concluded put the company at increased legal risk?

Traditionally we hear, “we cannot comment further until the investigation is concluded,” and as communicators, we roll our eyes. Maple Leaf’s strategy appears to be nothing other than doing the right thing, which is commendable. With that in mind, it appears unfair that this approach would make the company more vulnerable to legal action, preventing organizations from following the transparent path in the future.

"Gasping for air makes the righteous path harder to choose." N.E.R.D. Fly or Die

(image credit: k-ideas)

"We at Canadians for Accountability, a group founded to promote accountability and support whistleblowers, were shocked and offended. Many of us are whistleblowers ourselves," wrote Mr. Cutler.

"An informant is not a whistleblower, and we don't care to be grouped with them."

Mr. Cutler was responding to comments made by Mr. Ritz last week in an interview with The Globe and Mail.

Check out the full story and tell us what you think. Should the two be compared?

Comment about this post

It looks very much like Maple Leaf Foods could be in just such a situation, thanks to the terrible outbreak of Listeria that's been traced back to its processing plant in Toronto. The share price has plunged from a high of $11 to a low of $7.60 (as of this morning) in just a week and a half.

Of course this approach doesn't always work out: Maple Leaf could be hit by more huge lawsuits, or the crisis could keep getting worse for months, or maybe the company was way overvalued at $11. Plus, some say it's wrong to profit from a disaster that's killing people.

What do you think? Would you buy Maple Leaf?

At work today (the very last day) we continued to deal with the listeria stuff and there were other pressing issues that were, seemingly, incredibly important.  I mostly focused on an over-flowing 'poop lagoon' and a publicized hobo spider bite, because "poop lagoon" and "hobo spider" are fun to say.  However, I couldn't fritter the day away giggling at poo, and ended up dramatically editing a chart (glorified list!  my favorite!) that I'd previously set up.  And it was utterly destroyed by the person doing the editing.  My contribution was entirely erased, aside from the fact that the chart was still in chart format and had lines and headings.  That was bummer number one.

Bummer number two was when I realized I wouldn't any bueno relaxo time on my last day (which is supposed to be about sloth and cake!) to do what I normally do: procrastinate.  I ended up getting into work a half hour early, took a 30 min lunch, and actually did work.  THE HORROR.

Tonight my Google Reader is showing 1000+ unread items.  Someone please tell me that the significance of this is appreciated! I've read probably 500 items and marked as unread (apartment therapy, *yawwwnnnnn* I'm looking at you) and still, 1000+ items.  I blame the unforgiving and relentless Huffington Post (404 unread items and counting).  So I think, instead of packing or panicking I'll spend the next 3 days trying to get my unread items taken care of.  Sounds reasonable, right?

That or more beer.

Copyright © 2008 WrappedUpInBooksBlog. All rights reserved.

But I'm not writing about all that stuff today.  The important matter that I must address concerns luncheon meat.  Cold cuts.  Ready-to-eat-meat products, if you will.

So up here in Canada, we have had one news story for the last week or so.  Perhaps longer.  It seems longer.  But maybe that's just because it is the LEADING story on the news, and has been for, I don't know, the last hundred days.

One of our Canadian luncheon meat plants, Maple Leaf in Toronto, has had an outbreak of listeria.  Now, I'm not expecting that you'll have ever heard of this evil little bacteria.  I myself have seen some documentary on it (you know, of those shows that talks about e. coli, or ebola, or multi-drug-resistant-tuberculosis...  I am fascinated by these shows, so I know all about the little deadlies that are out there.  But I know that my obsession is a little weird, so I don't expect anybody else to share it.  Although if you do, let me know;  it would be cool to know that I'm not the only really weird one.)

As a public service, I will list some fast facts about listeria, courtesy of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

What is foodborne illness?

Foodborne illness occurs when a person consumes food contaminated with
pathogenic bacteria, viruses or parasites. This condition is often called
“food poisoning”. Many cases of foodborne illness go unreported
because their symptoms often resemble flu symptoms. The most common symptoms of
foodborne illness may include stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and
fever.

What are Listeria
monocytogenes and listeriosis?

• Listeria monocytogenes is a
  bacterium. It is often found in the environment, particularly in soil,
  vegetation, animal feed, and in human and animal feces.
• Eating food contaminated with Listeria may lead to the development of a disease
  called listeriosis.

What are the symptoms?

• Symptoms include: flu-like symptoms, nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea,
  headache, constipation and persistent fever. Symptoms usually appear within 2
  to 30 days and up to 70 days after consuming contaminated food.
• The very young, elderly or those with poorly functioning immune systems are
  the most susceptible. Flu-like symptoms may be followed by a brain or blood
  infection, either of which can result in death.
• A woman who develops listeriosis during the first three months of pregnancy
  may miscarry. If she develops listeriosis later in the pregnancy, her baby may
  be stillborn or acutely ill.

Wow, huh?  Listeriosis has been described by a microbiologist, tapped by the media as an expert, as the worst form of food poisoning ever.  Well, he didn't put it precisely that way, but I'm certain that this is what he would have said if he was a subscriber to the Plain English school of language.

Anyway, this has been our national obsession.  Much more pressing and fascinating than the Olympics.  Which, if you were paying attention, is not hard to achieve for Canada.  We are not summer Olympic folks up here, but we'll clean up at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.  Or else look mighty silly, after all the trash talk we've been dishing out.

(I just have to add this note:  there were at least three Olympians in Beijing who are from my hometown.  And each one of them finished fourth.  I think that says something, don't you?  But I digress.)

So, listeriosis.  This manufacturing plant has, at some point, had something to do with nearly every ready-to-eat-meat product in the country.  At first, the company just recalled products sold under the Maple Leaf label.  But yesterday, the recall had expanded to some 34 brand names and restaurants who use those products.  So there are far more dangerous ready-to-eat-meat products out there than we had imagined.

My parents eat a lot of cold cuts.  And they are in their early seventies.  I talked to my mother last night, and discovered that they had a fridge-full of possibly tainted meat products - ahem, ready-to-eat-meat products - that they have been merrily eating all along.  Not Maple Leaf, see?  Burns brand.  Who'd have thought that perhaps the Maple Leaf plant might also process meat for other brand names?  Clearly, it was safe to keep eating them.

The elderly are one of the groups at risk.  I had to explain to my mother today that, at 72, she is considered to be elderly.  Not that I think of her as elderly;  heavens, nooooo.  But technically, the general public do (mistakenly, of course) consider 72 to be elderly.

And they are both sick, with flu-like symptoms.  And in complete denial that the ham and bologna they have been eating might have caused it.  And that they, just maybe, should call the doctor, or the public health unit.  Or somebody.

I emailed my oldest sister last night about it.  She is a nurse, and it's generally much easier to email her about something like this, than to look it up myself.  Laziness, thy name is Linds.

Sister1 sent me the list of symptoms, which pretty much parallel what my parents are feeling.  And she asked me to make sure that they had chucked the rest of the meat.  She knows them well, let's just say that.

My mother grew up really poor, and she does not throw *anything* away.  She just cannot bring herself to throw food in the garbage.  And this situation is no exception.  Mom fed the stuff to the crows, which inspired me to tell her that when listeria sweeps through the local animal food chain, she will know it is her fault.  Neither she nor my father had considered that, apparently.

Since I am the child who lives in the same city as the parents, I am the one who keeps an eye on them.  It is a heavy responsibility sometimes.  Mostly because they are so stubborn, and apparently invincible.  I will be watching them closely.

I'm pretty sure they're fine, but the fact that they are always in complete denial about even the possibility that they might be, even the slightest bit, at risk is infinitely frustrating.  I'll blog later about an incident with my mother that will help to illustrate this point.  But for now, take my word for it that this nonchalant, blase' attitude is their M.O.

Anybody else have invincible parents that drive their children crazy?  Just wondering.  Again, am I the only one?

An outbreak of listeriosis that has affected at least 21 people and killed four has been linked to a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto, Ontario, which has recalled several brands of meat products.

Canada's Public Health Agency is still investigating several other cases. Symptoms of listeriosis can occur up to 70 days after the food is ingested, so the Agency is expecting more cases to arise over the next several weeks.

A full list of affected products is available online on Canada's Food Inspection Agency website.

The workers at Camp Tidnish, a camp in New Brunswick serving Nova Scotian children with physical and mental disabilities, were quarantined and treated late last week.

Heather MacDonald, a spokeswoman for the camp, said staff members consumed a product on the recall list of foods produced by Maple Leaf Foods before it was taken off the camp's menu.

"They were exhibiting some of the symptoms," she told CBC News on Monday. "There was a strong suspicion that it came from that particular Maple Leaf [Foods] product that we had on hand."

Federal food inspectors are testing samples for evidence of the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, which causes listeriosis.

Symptoms include vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. Public health officials say symptoms can occur up to 70 days after contaminated food is consumed, with the average incubation period of 30 days.

Health Canada said Monday that 12 deaths have been linked to a recent listeria outbreak. There are now 26 confirmed cases, up from 21. As well, the number of suspected cases is now 29, down from 30, officials said.

MacDonald said it was tough to keep Camp Tidnish going with seven staff in sick bay.

"That had left a small group of staff to effectively be operating the program, and we decided in our best interests to shut down the camp a few days early," she said.

Dr. Denis Allard, a district health officer in New Brunswick, said officials have investigated the facilities at the camp just inside the New Brunswick border.

"Our inspectors have gone and done a regular inspection that they would do when an outbreak is notified, which is looking at the food-handling practices," he said.

Allard said it could be a week before officials know whether the workers suffered from listeriosis or a similar illness.

The recall list has been expanded to include more than 200 items under brands such as Maple Leaf, Compliments, Hickory Farms and Schneider's. All of the products were manufactured in Toronto at the same Maple Leaf Foods factory.

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/08/25/camp-listeria-fear.html

Now, compare that to Ford.  I won't go into the Pinto issue nor expand on what I have stated concerning the Crown Victoria affair except to say, Ford was initially reluctant to come forward and issue a recall and take responsibility.  A lot of police officers died while Ford played around with the Crown Victoria.

In our issue concerning the built-in front window leak,  Ford has not publically acknowledged the fact that they produced a vehicle with this built-in fault (although I understand a service bulletin was issued to dealers but not other garages but I have yet to see this) nor have they issued a recall or attempted to fix the problem (I had to go to Speedy Glass - who did an excellent job).  Even the CAW refuses to comment on this except to tell me that I shouldn't blame their workers (who put the window in?). 

It is interesting to note that Ford Canada is on its fifth president in less than 4 years - they are changing the top man more often than underwear on a person with a lower bowel problem.  How can they expect to promote good customer relations when their top management keeps changing?  Who is going to take responsibility for the Ford F150 front window leak if they keep changing the guy that should.

At least Maple Leaf Foods has shown some ethics and their CEO is someone I'd like to do business with.  I think a handshake with him would the most I'd require in any business deal (although I'm sure the lawyers would tell me otherwise).  I'd buy a used car from the Maple Leaf CEO but not necessarily a new car from the Ford CEO.  I hope that Maple Leaf Foods survives this last incident and are able to move on, with a little help from consumers.

P.S. some will say I am comparing apples and oranges.  Well, Toyota recognized it had a rust perforation problem with their truck frames and they did the ethical thing - either repaired the vehicle or bought it and, if no rust, added on a 15 year warranty.  I'm sure that the Toyota and Maple Leaf Foods CEOs listen to the same school of thought - honest customer relations, not advertised relations.