Listeria scare hits Nunavut; GN issues bad beef warning

The GN’s health department is warning Nunavummiut not to eat this roast beef product, which may have been contaminated with the germ that causes listeria.

Nunavut’s health department is warning Nunavummiut against eating a packaged roast beef product that may be contaminated with the germ that causes listeria.

That follows the recall of a product under the Grimm’s Fine Foods brand called Home Style Roast Beef, announced July 3 by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, due to possible contamination by listeria monocytogenes.

The product may have been sold in food stores throughout the territory, Nunavut’s health department said July 6 in its own warning.

Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the listeria monocytogenes germ.

The contaminated food may not look or smell bad, but it can still make you sick. Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, fever, muscle aches, severe headaches and neck stiffness.

Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk, the food inspection agency said.

There haven’t been any illnesses associated with people eating the roast beef.

But if you have this product at home, the food inspection agency says you should return it to the store where you bought it.