TUESDAY August 26, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Canada has confirmed 26 cases of food poisoning including 12 deaths linked deli meats contaminated with Listeria. The products of concern were produced at a plant of Maple Leaf Food Inc. Reuters cited Canadian health officials as saying Monday.

Another 29 cases are waiting to be confirmed and more cases are expected in coming days, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz was cited as saying.

Maple Leaf Foods, one of Canada's biggest meat processors, have voluntarily recalled about 220 products produced at the plant, which is worth about $19 million.

The company said Tuesday it hoped to reopen the Toronto facility shut off due to the outbreak, but health officials said all meat produced there will be subject to testing to make sure it's free of contamination before being released.

Listeria bacteria with the same genetic fingerprint found in the ill people matched those found in two beef products made at the plant. The tainted products along with another 20 produced on the same lines were recalled last week.

Listeria food poisoning can cause symptoms including vomiting, nausea, cramps., diarrhea, severe headache, constipation or persistent fever, according to Health Canada.

Listeriosis can be particularly dangerous for pregnant women, the elderly, infants and those with immune systems compromised. The illness resulted in seven of the deaths, the Public Health Agency of Canada was cited as saying.

You can minimize your chances of contracting listeriosis (as well as other foodborne illnesses) by following these steps.

    * Read and follow all package labels and instructions on food preparation and storage.

    * After handling foods in the kitchen, especially raw foods such as meat and fish, thoroughly clean and sanitize all surfaces used for food preparation with a kitchen sanitizer (following the directions on the container) or use a bleach solution (5 ml household bleach to 750 ml of water), and rinse with water.

    * To avoid cross-contamination, clean all knives, cutting boards and utensils used with raw food before using them again.

    * Thoroughly clean fruits and vegetables before you eat them.

    * Refrigerate or freeze perishable food, prepared food and leftovers within two hours.

    * Defrost food in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, but never at room temperature.

    * Keep leftovers for a maximum of four days only and reheat them to an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) before eating them.

    * Check the temperature in your refrigerator using a thermometer to make sure it is at 4°C (40°F) or below. As the storage temperature increases, so does the growth of Listeria in foods. The higher the number of bacteria in foods, the greater is the risk of getting sick.

    * Frequently wash and disinfect the refrigerator. The more often it is cleaned, the less chance there will be for Listeria to be transferred from contaminated food and surfaces to non-contaminated foods.