Toronto (OTL) - Thousands of inmates in Ontario prisons may have eaten listeria-contaminated meals over the course of at least four days, but so far no illnesses have been reported.
Inmates in at least six Ontario area prison facilities were exposed to listeria monocytogenes earlier this month before tests confirmed the presence of the bacteria in food 11 food samples on November 21. According to Ontario correctional services ministry Stuart McGetrick, the contaminated food would have been consumed by inmates between November 13 and 16, less than a week before routine tests for listeria on food samples yielded a positive result.
The facilities food distributor, owned by Eurest Dining Services and based in Milton, Ontario, was ordered to stop production of food as soon as the test results were in. The company will now be required to begin sanitizing its plant and the equipment inside it.
Symptoms that one has ingested listeria include headaches, vomiting and fever, among other possible side effects, and according to health professionals, usually take between one and three days to appear. Listeria’s incubation period can be as short as three weeks or as long as 70 days. While no inmates have reported any symptoms, they will continue to be monitored.
The Eurest food production facility serves over 4,000 inmates daily in over 30 facilities.