- The CFIA's Class I recall of Inspired Go ready-to-eat salads and snack packs signals a high-risk scenario involving a possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination – a bacterium that can cause serious illness or death even when food looks and smells normal.
- Listeria is rare – and that's what makes it dangerous. While it causes far fewer infections than common food bugs like norovirus, listeria accounts for about one-third of known foodborne illness-related death in Canada, hitting pregnant women, seniors and immunocompromised people hardest.
- About four million Canadians – one in eight – get sick from contaminated food every year, leading to an estimated 11,600 hospitalizations and 238 deaths, according to public health research.
- Roughly 60 percent of foodborne illnesses are caused by unidentified agents, meaning millions of people get sick without every knowing what contaminated their food – or where it came from.
- Recalls are prevention. When regulators act before illnesses are reported, it reflects how outbreaks really work: delayed symptoms, under-reporting and invisible pathogens make early intervention one of the most powerful tools to protect public health.
In mid-December 2025, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued a Class I recall – its most serious category – for several Inspired Go brand pre-made salad and snack packs, citing possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The agency warned that consuming the affected products, designed for immediate consumption without further cooking or meal preparation, could lead to serious illness or death. Distribution spanned multiple provinces – Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan – and online.
The recall was triggered by the Sliced FC, a division of Star Produce Ltd., and the CFIA said it is conducting a food safety investigation while verifying that products are being removed from the marketplace. Consumers were advised not to consume, serve, sell or distribute the recalled items.
It's the kind of notice many people skim – or miss entirely. But it connects directly to a much broader reality about foodborne illness in Canada.
According to estimates from the Public Health Agency of Canada, about four million Canadians – roughly one in eight – experience a foodborne illness every year. These aren't just mild stomach upsets.
Each year, foodborne illness is estimated to result in approximately 11,600 hospitalizations and about 238 deaths.
Those numbers come from years of surveillance data and peer-reviewed research published in Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. Researchers emphasize that these are not guesses; they are carefully calculated estimates designed to account for under-reporting and under-diagnosis.
To put it in human terms, it's as if the entire population of a major Canadian city falls ill every year from contaminated food – with enough hospitalizations to strain healthcare systems and enough deaths to leave hundreds of families grieving.
One of the most surprising findings from national food safety data is how much remains unknown.
Researchers estimate that about 60 percent of foodborne illnesses in Canada are caused by "unspecified agents" – pathogens or toxins that are never identified. People get sick, recover and move on without testing or reporting. Others may seek medical care but never received a definitive diagnosis.
This means that for most cases of food poisoning, there is no recall, no headline and no clear source. The illness disappears into the background noise of everyday life.
Public health experts say this makes prevention harder and reinforces an uncomfortable truth: the absence of a recall does not mean the absence of risk.
Not all foodborne bugs are equal
When scientists break down foodborne illness by pathogen, a clear pattern emerges. The bacteria and viruses that make the most people sick are not always the ones that cause the most harm. Norovirus, for example, causes the majority of known foodborne illnesses in Canada – more than one million cases each year. It spreads easily and is a leading cause of hospitalization.
Salmonella and Campylobacter are also major contributors to serious illness and hospital admissions.
But when it comes to deaths, Listeria monocytogenes stands apart. Despite causing fewer infections overall, the listeria bacterium is responsible for about one-third of all known foodborne illness-related deaths in Canada, according to national estimates. That disproportionate impact is why food safety officials respond so aggressively to any sign of contamination.
The listeria bacterium's ability to hide in foods that appear fresh, its resistance to cold temperatures and its devastating impact on vulnerable populations make it one of the most feared pathogens in food safety.
Inspired Go's products fall into a category public health experts monitor closely: convenient ready-to-eat foods.
Unlike raw meat or poultry, which are typically cooked before eating, pre-made salads and snack packs are consumed "as is." There is no final cooking step at home to kill bacteria. If contamination occurs during processing or packaging, it can reach consumers directly.
That reality doesn't mean people should avoid convenience foods altogether. But it does explain why recalls involving ready-to-eat products are treated with urgency – and why consumers are urged not to take chances.
When recalls are announced, many people ask the same question: If no one is sick, why the alarm?
Researchers studying foodborne illness say this question misunderstands how outbreaks unfold. Symptoms can take days or weeks to appear. Many people never seek medical care. Others are never tested for specific pathogens. Even hospitalizations and deaths may not always be linked back to food exposure.
The peer-reviewed research behind Canada's foodborne illnesses estimates relies on advanced statistical methods to account for these gaps. The conclusion is clear: official case counts almost always underestimate the true impact.
In that context, early recalls are not overreactions. They are one of the few tools regulators have to prevent illness before it becomes visible.
What this means for your daily life
Food safety can feel abstract until it shows up in your own kitchen. The truth is, it touches everyday decisions – what you buy, how you store it, how you prepare it and how closely you pay attention to warnings.
Public health officials recommend a few practical habits that make a real difference:
- Treat recall notices seriously, especially Class I recalls.
- Discard or return recalled food immediately, even if it looks fine.
- Keep refrigerators clean and cold, ideally at 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Centigrade) or below.
- Separate raw foods from ready-to-eat items.
- Be especially cautious if you or someone in your household is pregnant, elderly or immunocompromised.
These steps are about awareness – not fear.
According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, the Inspired Go recall is an example of the food safety system doing what it's designed to do: a company identified a potential issue, regulators investigated and a warning was issued before illnesses were confirmed. But it's also a reminder that foodborne illnesses are a persistent public health burden with real consequences.
Watch this video about the plant-based milk nationwide recall in Canada due to Listeria contamination in July 2024.
This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com.
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