The Deli on Hanson Street in Whitehorse has pulled Freybe-brand headcheese off its shelves.
“If it’s been told that we have to pull it, then we pull it,” said a Deli employee.
Freybe issued a class-one recall Thursday morning on the product because of salmonella contamination.
A class-one recall means the recalled product has a very high health risk, said Garfield Balsom, a food safety specialist with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. “It’s the most severe health risk.”
The meat, made from head parts, like the tongue and brains of a calf or pig, was distributed in small delis in the Yukon and through bigger chains in Western Canada.
So far no related salmonella cases have been reported in the territory, but the BC Centre for Disease Control has confirmed 10 reported cases in British Columbia, said a spokesperson for Freybe.
These cases are associated with the Freybe product, said Balsom.
Salmonella symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stomach pain and diarrhea.
The majority of cases in BC involve elderly individuals.
“Our customers’ health and safety comes first, which is why we are issuing a recall,” said Henning Freybe, board chairman for Freybe foods.
Further distribution of the headcheese will be suspended while Freybe works with food inspectors and the meat-packaging facility in Mississauga, Ontario.
Contact Larissa Robyn Johnston at larissaj@yukon-news.com