CANADA-MAPLE LEAF DEFEND THE INDEFESNIBLE.
Slitting hairs over the fact that it may have been 21 people who died or 22 people, is a shocking indictment on a company, who by their own admission in September of 2008 admitted that the listeria problems originated from their meat plant in Toronto.
Making matters worse was the fact that they tried to pass the buck to the manufacturer of the meat slicing machines, that were not cleaned properly by their own staff.
A lesson could be learned from the management of JBS-Swift. Where management are promoted from the production line rather that over paid executives trying to manage a meat plant from behind a desk. One death caused by negligence is one to many.
Embattled Maple Leaf Foods officials distanced themselves from the death of a Quebec man while attempting to settle with those sickened by bad food that led to the nation’s largest meat recall.
Health officials in Quebec said yesterday they couldn’t confirm if the listeriosis death of a 75-year-old man in January was linked to last summer’s outbreak of tainted Maple Leaf meat that left 20 people dead.
Two of the meat firm’s top executives were assuring the public yesterday that their meat is safe and lots of work is going on behind the scenes to keep it that way.
"We will be on a food safety journey for the foreseeable future," Maple Leaf chief food safety officer, Dr. Randall Huffman, said. "We are committed to doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our foods."
The company went before an Ontario judge on Thursday seeking approval for a $25-million settlement in a class-action lawsuit.
Under a proposed agreement, settlements could range up to $125,000 for those who had serious and long-lasting physical injuries from consuming the tainted meats.
Claimants who suffered physical symptoms consistent with listeriosis and lasting between 24 and 48 hours can obtain settlements of about $750.
Maple Leaf said it will also pay $120,000 to the estates of those who died from the outbreak.
