Toronto Public Health (TPH) says it has confirmed two cases of listeria in the city.
Ready-to-eat deli meat products sold by Summerhill Market have tested positive for listeria monocytogenes — the bacteria responsible for the illness in the cases, TPH said in a news release issued Friday night.
The affected meat products will have a label showing they were packaged at 446 Summerhill Ave., the public health agency said, adding the items were sold on or before Thursday at six Summerhill Market locations, including: 446 Summerhill Ave., 1054 Mount Pleasant Rd., 484 Eglinton Ave. W., 1014 Bathurst St., 3609 Dundas St. W., and 32 Wellington St. W. in Aurora.
“The affected meat may not look or smell spoiled but it may still cause sickness,” the health agency said. “While TPH continues its investigation, residents are advised to immediately dispose of or return these sliced ready-to-eat deli meat products to the location where they were purchased.”
Residents who consumed these products are advised to dispose of them, watch for symptoms of listeria and seek medical attention if required.
The listeria discovery was part of an ongoing food safety investigation where TPH staff have completed an “extensive risk assessment, collected samples of the surfaces and food for testing and ordered a thorough cleaning of the premises and equipment.”
This development comes after it was found that three listeria deaths were linked to plant-based milk products following a national recall. Two of the deaths were in Ontario.
Symptoms of listeria can start as early as three days and as late as 70 days after eating contaminated food or drink.