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Canada court approves settlement in bacteria contamination class action suit

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench on Tuesday approved a settlement agreement between Canadian meatpacker Maple Leaf Foods and class action plaintiffs who brought suit against the company in connection with sales of meat tainted with listeria monocytogenes. The tainted meat sickened 56 Canadians and caused 20 deaths across the country in 2008. Under the settlement, agreed to by the plaintiffs and Maple Leaf in January, the company will pay between $25-27 million to settle the claims of class members who submit to the settlement agreement. The judge who approved the settlement agreement, Justice Ron Barclay, praised Maple Leaf Foods for its approach to the settlement of the lawsuit. The settlement agreement will be presented to a Quebec court next week for approval. Last year's outbreak of listeriosis was traced to a Maple Leaf Foods processing plant near Toronto, Ontario. The plant was shut down in August 2008, and is now running at limited production levels. The bacterial infection was spread through several products, which were promptly recalled by the company. In response to the listeriosis outbreak, Maple Leaf Foods developed an action plan to ensure the ongoing safety of its products, including so-called "enhanced food safety protocols".

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 11, 2009 (boomark / email).