Multiple products are being recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) due to possible salmonella contamination, which could prompt some to wonder about the bacteria.
In the last several weeks, Quaker oat items, Eagle Brand frozen corn and various yogurt bowls across Canada have been pulled from shelves.
The CFIA says these products are due to salmonella contamination, a bacteria that can spread to food by coming in contact with infected animals.
Salmonella killed seven and infected 153 Canadians after consuming Malichita and Ruby brand cantaloupes in late 2023.
"We're certainly hearing a lot about it lately because there were several prominent confirmed outbreaks," Brian Coombes, Professor and Chair of the Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University, said.
The bacteria is known as a foodborne illness and is naturally found in animals, including ones humans use as food sources, Coombes said.
"It can infect the intestines of chickens, pigs, cows, essentially any different kind of animal," he said. "The other interesting thing is it also can colonize wild animals so you can find it in wild birds and reptiles."
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps are some of the symptoms of salmonella poisoning. Coombes said this can result in the illness being transferred from person to person.
It is common for food products to come in contact with animals in fields and on farms, which can increase the risk of salmonella transferring to food, Coombes explained.
It can be in animal feces or spread through water, William Navarre, professor of molecular genetics at the University of Toronto, told CTVNews.ca.
"Salmonella can grow well in warm water," he said. "Ponds in farms that are being used for irrigation are warmer for longer you could get more salmonella growth in them and other pathogens like E. coli."
Salmonella can be killed in meat products by cooking (I think it's worth noting that it should be cooked at high temperatures) or by washing produce, Coombes said. However, fruits and vegetables have "imperfections" on the surface which could allow for bacteria to infect the edible portions.
Salmonella-contaminated products won't look any different than safe-to-consume foods. This is why when one product is known to have salmonella, all products that have come in contact with it must be disposed of, Coombes said.
Identifying salmonella contamination in food means the inspection system is working, Navarre said, but it also showcases how easily bacteria can spread throughout the food chain.
Because industrialized food systems are set up for efficiency, more products go through the same food chain, he said.
"If every farm was just local… we would probably have lots of little outbreaks," Navarre said. "But if an outbreak happened, it would be very local and very contained."
In industrial farming, outbreaks happen less often because of frequent inspections.
"But when they do happen… then all of a sudden that food gets shipped out, all over the place, and so it's no longer local," Navarre said.
The bacteria can double in growth every 20 minutes when in moist, warm environments, contaminating more products, Coombes said.
"In Canada and the U.S., we tend to have roughly around seven or so outbreaks of foodborne contamination by salmonella a year," Coombes, told CTV News Channel.
Salmonella infections do not usually require treatment and leave the body within a week, the Health Canada website reads.
However, in extreme cases, antibiotics are needed.
Experts are concerned with how the bacteria is starting to become drug-resistant, Coombes said. This could result in a widespread outbreak.
"Antibiotic resistance has been called, you know the next slow-moving pandemic," he said. "Antibiotic resistance is such a problem because antibiotics they hold up the entire foundation of modern medicine."
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