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OTTAWA, August 3, 2005 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Aliments Fontaine SantÈ Inc. are advising public not to consume the Fontaine SantÈ pesto products described below as they may contain the microorganism Cyclospora cayetanensis which presents a health risk.

The following Fontaine SantÈ products are affected by this alert:

Fontaine SantÈ, Pesto, Fresh Basil, sold in a 180 g package bearing UPC 7 70333 08100 6 and the Best Before dates from 30 AU 05 (August 30, 2005) up to and including 27 SE 05 (September 27, 2005);
Fontaine SantÈ, Pesto Cilantro, sold in a 180 g package bearing UPC 7 70333 08110 5 and the Best Before dates from 11 SE 05 (September 11, 2005) up to and including 25 SE 05 (September 25, 2005);
Fontaine SantÈ, Pesto Fusilli Salad, sold in a 350 g package bearing UPC 7 70333 00135 6 and the Best Before dates from 3 AU 05 (August 3, 2005) up to and including 17 AU 05 (August 17, 2005);
Fontaine SantÈ, Feta Penne Salad, sold in a 350 g package bearing UPC 7 70333 00125 7 and the Best Before dates from 4 AU 05 (August 4, 2005) up to and including 19 AU 05 (August 19, 2005);
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

Aliments Fontaine SantÈ Inc., St-Laurent, Quebec, is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The affected products were distributed in Quebec and Ontario.

For general information, food contaminated with Cyclospora cayetanensis may not look or smell spoiled. Cyclospora cayetanensis is a parasite that causes gastrointestinal infection. Usually the symptoms of infection begin about 1 week after exposure and may include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, prolonged fatigue, muscle aches, and low-grade fever. If untreated, the illness can last for weeks to months and symptoms can come and go.

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Last updated Aug 5 2005 04:00 PM EDT
CBC News

Quebec's Fontaine SantÈ food producer is pulling a number of pesto and pasta products off shelves in about 1,000 stores across Quebec and Ontario.

Fontaine SantÈ product alert
Fontaine SantÈ, Pesto, Fresh Basil, sold in a 180 g package bearing UPC 7 70333 08100 6 and the best-before dates from 30 AU 05 (August 30, 2005) up to and including 27 SE 05 (September 27, 2005)
Fontaine SantÈ, Pesto Cilantro, sold in a 180 g package bearing UPC 7 70333 08110 5 and the best-before dates from 11 SE 05 (September 11, 2005) up to and including 25 SE 05 (September 25, 2005)
Fontaine SantÈ, Pesto Fusilli Salad, sold in a 350 g package bearing UPC 7 70333 00135 6 and the best-before dates from 3 AU 05 (August 3, 2005) up to and including 17 AU 05 (August 17, 2005)
Fontaine SantÈ, Feta Penne Salad, sold in a 350 g package bearing UPC 7 70333 00125 7 and the best-before dates from 4 AU 05 (August 4, 2005) up to and including 19 AU 05 (August 19, 2005)

Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency
The company was getting its basil from a grower in Mexico that supplied a restaurant in Mont-Saint-Hillaire, where about 200 people got sick after eating a meal that contained basil.

The basil was contaminated with Cyclospora cayetanensis, a parasite that causes gastrointestinal infections.

Raymond Salloum, of Fontaine SantÈ , says nobody has fallen ill from eating his company's food. But, he says, the company recalled its pesto-based products after an investigation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency .

"So for us [it's better] not to take any risks. We never had any complaints from our consumers, and we eat the food here every day. We have a hundred employees here in the production site, and they eat the food every day here. We never had any complaints, anybody said anything, anybody felt sick, or whatever. So, just as a precaution, we said 'okay, we'll do this,'" Salloum says.

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Canadian Press
Thursday, August 04, 2005

OTTAWA (CP) - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Aliments Fontaine Sante Inc. are advising consumers not to eat the Fontaine Sante pesto products described below as they may contain the micro-organism Cyclospora cayetanensis which presents a health risk.

The following Fontaine Sante products are affected by this alert:

-Fontaine Sante, Pesto, Fresh Basil, sold in a 180-gram package bearing UPC 7 70333 08100 6 and the best before dates from 30 AU 05 (Aug. 30, 2005) up to and including 27 SE 05 (Sept. 27, 2005).

-Fontaine Sante, Pesto Cilantro, sold in a 180-gram package bearing UPC 7 70333 08110 5 and the best before dates from 11 SE 05 (Sept. 11, 2005) up to and including 25 SE 05 (Sept. 25, 2005).

-Fontaine Sante, Pesto Fusilli Salad, sold in a 350-gram package bearing UPC 7 70333 00135 6 and the best before dates from 3 AU 05 (Aug. 3, 2005) up to and including 17 AU 05 (Aug. 17, 2005).

4. Fontaine Sante, Feta Penne Salad, sold in a 350-gram package bearing UPC 7 70333 00125 7 and the best before dates from 4 AU 05 (Aug. 4, 2005) up to and including 19 AU 05 (Aug. 19, 2005).

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

Aliments Fontaine Sante Inc. of St-Laurent, Que., is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The affected products were distributed in Quebec and Ontario.

Food contaminated with Cyclospora cayetanensis may not look or smell spoiled.

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a parasite that causes gastrointestinal infection.

Usually the symptoms of infection begin about one week after exposure and may include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, prolonged fatigue, muscle aches, and low-grade fever.

If untreated, the illness can last for weeks to months and symptoms can come and go.

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2005-07-27

Details are emerging in the case of the contaminated basil that sickened more than 200 diners earlier this month at Manoir Rouville-Campbell in Mont Saint-Hilliare.

Canadian food inspection agents say the basil came from Mexico and not from the Dominican Republic, as was originally reported by several media outlets.

The agency followed the trail of the basil from the diners' plates, to the importer, to the grower, confirming Mexico was the origin.

On July 9th, some 250 customers at Manoir Rouville-Campbel ate basil contaimated with the Cyclospora parasite, which causes symptoms that resemble an extreme case of gastroenteritis.

It was the third case this year in Canada of basil contaminated with Cyclospora.

The two earlier cases were in Ontario in April.

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