In August 2008, 23 Canadians lives were lost and many more became ill as a result of contaminated Listeria products, which were made at the Maple Leaf Foods Bartor Road facility. Maple Leaf Foods acted quickly to contain the outbreak through the closure of the facility and the recall of all products made there.
Since this tragedy, we have committed to becoming a global leader in food safety through significant investments in people and resources in order to achieve this commitment.
As we acknowledged and respected the 10th commemoration of the Listeria tragedy, Michael McCain, President and CEO, and Dr. Randy Huffman, Chief Food Safety and Sustainability Officer, sat down with Food Safety Magazine to share the story and the affects it had on Maple Leaf Foods in a podcast episode of Food Safety Matters.
In this rare occasion, both Michael and Randy find time to pause, reflect and have a discussion on what food safety leadership looks like, not only during a crisis, but every day.
Not only inspiring, this discussion also sets a challenge for the food industry – have a listen:
The tragedy has led Maple Leaf Foods to make a long-term commitment to food safety and to become a world leader in food safety.
For the past 10 years, we have hosted an annual Food Safety Symposium, where industry professionals are invited to a day of open dialog, debate and learnings about important and timely food safety topics. On October 2, 2018, we will host our 10th Annual Food Safety Symposium.
