Press Release
For immediate release
Pork given to Free Press employees may not be safe to eat
The City of Winnipeg Health Department has cautioned anyone who received pork on the Free Press picket line of potential health risks.
A Free Press reporter claimed in an internet post that some of the minced pork delivered to strikers was already spoiled, and the rest was "already thawing". Most was taken home by picketers. The reporter went on to suggest the pork was being refrozen by many of the union members, with the intention of being handed out in Christmas hampers.
Peter Parys, Manager of the City’s Community By-law Enforcement Services, provided the following information for our listeners.
* meat that is not, or has not been, properly stored can certainly pose a risk if consumed;
* it is not recommended practice to refreeze meat;
* consumers should be cautious if they do not know how food has been handled and stored prior to receiving it.
Food storage information is also available on the City’s website at http://www.winnipeg.ca/cms/ehs/food/temporary.stm#foodhandling
While this information was directed to the listeners of The Great Canadian Talk Show, we believe that it deserves a broader distribution, as there is no way of knowing who may end up eating the possibly tainted meat. According to media reports, the one pound packages carry "Winnipeg Harvest " labels.
The Honourable Rosann Wowchuk, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, informed TGCTS on October 28th "we are very concerned with what has happened in regards to the incident in question with Winnipeg Harvest."
In an interview on today's show, Mayor Sam Katz expressed alarm at the idea of anyone refreezing meat, and promised to ensure the Health Department would pursue the matter further with those responsible for handing out the pork.
