Class action suit filed against Canadian beef company
August 27th, 2008 joshua
A Canadian lawyer said he represents at least 1,100 victims of a listeriosis outbreak in a class action lawsuit against Maple Leaf Foods.
Tainted meat from the Toronto-based meat packing plant has been linked to at least 29 cases of listeria poisoning. Fifteen of these cases have resulted in the death of the person infected.
The suit not only includes people directly affected from eating the tainted meat, but also people who have suffered mental distress and financial loss. Lawyers who filed the case in an Ottawa court earlier this week must prove the listeria outbreak is linked to Maple Leaf Foods.
According to Canadian Broadcasting, Maple Leaf Foods is expected to lose at least $20 million because of the ongoing recall of its entire line of products. Originally limited to just 23 varieties of pre-packaged meats manufactured at its Toronto facility, an added recall has expanded it to the entire product.
Several other companies have issued recalls because their products may contain meat contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Many of the cases have been limited geographically to Ontario province, cases have been reported and are currently being investigated in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Quebec.












