Canada-Maple Leaf not selling meat plant.

CANADA-MAPLE LEAF.

Maple Leaf Foods (MFI.TO) said on Thursday it planned to delay the sale of its Ontario pork processing business until next year at the earliest as it waits out the slumping global markets.

The Toronto-based food processor said there was "no immediate urgency" to sell the Burlington, Ontario-based business, despite active negotiations with several interested buyers.

Maple Leaf Foods, which was hit hard by a costly listeria-related meat recall last summer that was linked to at least 20 deaths, said "current economic conditions and credit markets have made it difficult to complete a satisfactory sale of its Ontario pork processing business."

The company said in late 2006 that it planned to sell the business to focus on the processed meat, meals and bakery businesses.