The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people not to eat 16 ready-made sandwiches produced by Alberta-based Hygaard Fine Foods Ltd. because they may contain Listeria monocytogenes.

L. monocytogenes is the strain of bacteria that was the underlying cause of death for 18 people in Canada and prompted the massive recall in August of products from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto.

But there are at least 20 subtypes of L. monocytogenes, and the one affecting 16 Hygaard sandwiches is not the same one that affected Maple Leaf Foods, CFIA spokesman Alain Charette said Thursday.

The agency said Wednesday in a release that there have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of the sandwiches, which were distributed nationally except in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The recalled products by Sherwood Park, Alta.-based Hygaard Fine Foods have best-before dates ranging from Oct. 24 to Nov. 16.

CFIA spokesman Garfield Balsom told the Canadian Press that Hygaard notified the agency on Wednesday that environmental testing had detected listeria, which prompted a voluntary recall of the sandwiches as a precaution.

Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes my cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness, the agency said.

Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women, small children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk.

To date, there have been 48 confirmed cases and nine suspected cases of listeriosis connected to Maple Leaf Foods. Listeriosis was the underlying cause of death in 18 of those confirmed cases and is suspected in five other cases.

The list of recalled sandwiches with best-before dates up to and including Nov. 16 include:

  • Super Donair, 251 grams.
  • Mini Pizza Sub, 140 grams.
  • Little John Sub, 387 grams.
  • Hoagie, 238 grams.
  • Mini Hoagie family pack, 822 grams.
  • Mini Pizza Sub, 156 grams.
  • Mini Pizza Sub family pack, 798 grams.
  • Super Pizza Sub, 380 grams.
  • Lumberjack Sub, 312 grams.
  • Mini Sub, 133 grams.
  • Salt and Pepper Dry Ribs, 164 grams.
  • Super Sub, 165 grams.
  • Mini Ham Sub family pack, 738 grams.
  • Philly Steak Sub, 219 grams.
  • Spicy Donair, 155 grams.
  • Sausage and Egg Muffin, 165 grams.