Toronto - A province-wide outbreak of Salmonella poisioning prompted Ontario food processor Schneider Corp. to recall four popular lunch snacks on Thursday.
The decision came after the Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Mowat said shredded cheese contained in Lunchmates products produced by J.M. Schneider Inc., a division of Schneider, may be the source of the infection.
Schneider issued a voluntary recall of four products containing the shredded cheese. These include Lunchmate Chicken Soft Taco, Lunchmate Beef Taco, Lunchmate Two Cheese Pizza and Lunchmate Big Combo Beef Taco.
A total of 177 confirmed cases of Salmonella enteritidis have been detected, predominantly among children aged five to 14 years. Historically, this age group accounts for only a small proportion of the yearly average of 600 cases of Salmonella enteritidis in the province.
Symptoms include fever, diarrhea and vomiting. The incubation period is usually six to 72 hours, with the duration of the illness ranging from several days to several weeks.
An investigation by public health officials is continuing.
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