The Middlesex London Health Unit says meat delivery poses no ongoing risk

A local health unit investigation is underway after images circulated online of a meat delivery to a west London food market. Gerry Dewan reports.

A local health unit investigation is underway after images circulated online of a meat delivery to a west London food market.

The images have appeared on various social media sites and show uncovered meat sitting in the back of a rental truck at the rear of Aladdin’s Food.

Middlesex London Health Unit (MLHU) Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Joanne Kearon told CTV News the images were forwarded to the health unit, prompting the investigation.

With any sort of situation like this. Our role is to investigate. And so we have followed up, for further details with the operators, distributors, everyone who is involved, and the investigation is ongoing,” she said.

A representative inside store acknowledged the posts and told CTV News the images were captured about two months ago.

He noted that a health unit inspector visited Aladdin’s on Monday. He said during that visit he provided evidence that the truck was refrigerated, and transport was cleared by inspectors at the distribution site.

Kearon said circumstances like this the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) and the MLHU each play a role in protecting the food supply, “OMAFA is the organization and the ministry that would oversee and inspect sites of food production where the distribution is expected to be just within Ontario. And then here at the MLHU, our role is in inspecting and overseeing the food premises where there is actually sale of food to the public.”

Aladdin’s Food is geared to Middle Eastern cuisine, including halal items which are permissible for Muslims.

According to Kearon, “In this case, what we can say is that there is no ongoing risk. And none of the meat products is currently for sale.”

Kearon said the health unit conducts ongoing information campaigns to ensure best practices are followed, “With the transport of food, the two main things that we are looking at is, adequate refrigeration as well as reducing the risk of cross-contamination, such as through the use of liners. And so we do ongoing education with distributors as well as with our food premises operators to give them the tools that they can use to ensure that.”

Kearon noted that inspection records and reports are publicly available on the health unit website.