Toronto grocery store responds to reports of Listeria outbreak

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A grocery store in Toronto is responding to reports of Listeria in some of their products.

On Oct. 4, the City of Toronto confirmed two cases of Listeria in the city, both linked to the same product purchased at Summerhill Market.

"As part of its ongoing investigation, TPH has identified sliced ready-to-eat deli meat products sold by Summerhill Market as testing positive for Listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria responsible for the illness in the cases," the city confirms in their report.

Following the reports, Summerhill Market issued a statement on their Instagram in response.

"At Summerhill Market, our commitment to quality and safety is paramount in continuing to provide our customers with food that they can take comfort in serving to their families. We take extensive measures to ensure that food quality and safety are never compromised, and we partner with local suppliers who strive to uphold the highest standards," they write.

"We were extremely concerned to learn that the Beef Tongue in Jelly we purchased from our third-party supplier, in its fully sealed and unsliced state, tested positive for listeria."

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In response, "out of an abundance of caution," they write, Summerhill Market has recalled 26 deli items (you can view the entire list below) from the same supplier as the affected item, which will be marked as packaged at 446 Summerhill Avenue and sold on or before Oct. 3.

They note that the majority of their deli meats are processed at their Commissary 129 Railside Road location, thus will not pose a threat.

Listeria, caused by Listeria monocytogenes like those found in the product, can cause symptoms such as fever, nausea, cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, constipation and muscle aches, with symptoms appearing anywhere from 3 to 70 days after exposure to contaminated food or drink.

If you or someone you know are showing signs of Listeria infection and believe you may have come in contact with contaminated food or drink, the best course of action is to contact your health provider for testing and treatment.

With 5 locations in the city on top of an additional shop in Aurora, Summerhill Market has become a major player among Toronto's grocery options, known particularly for their quality in-house line of prepared foods, meats, baked goods and snacks which are made and packaged at their various locations and facilities in the city.

At the time of publication, no further cases of Listeria have been confirmed in relation to the Beef Tongue in Jelly, which Summerhill maintains is purchased from a third-party supplier, or other Summerhill Market Deli Products.

The full list of recalled items can be found below. If you purchased any listed items on or before Thursday, Oct. 3, you're encouraged to discard of them immediately and contact Summerhill Market for a full refund.