The Ombudsman's office has launched an inquiry into the Quebec government's reaction to the recent listeria outbreak that led to a massive cheese recall across the province, crippling many local producers.

The agriculture ministry searched more than 300 businesses, and seized and destroyed thousands of kilograms of cheese suspected of being contaminated with the potentially deadly listeriosis bacteria.

Cheese producers and retailers accused the government of overreacting and demanded compensation for tens of thousands of dollars in financial losses, which the province has refused on the grounds it was protecting public health and safety.

That decision will be investigated, said Raymonde Saint-Germain, Quebec's Ombudsman.

"I want to make sure this crisis has been very fairly managed, and in an equitable manner, both for the public, and for the cheese producers," she said Tuesday.

Saint-Germain said she decided to launch the investigation on her own initiative. The provincial office did not receive any formal complaints about the handling of the listeria crisis.

The investigation will look into whether the cheese needed to be destroyed without ever being tested for listeria contamination.

The investigation is expected to take a few weeks.