British Columbia

Contaminated salami that caused outbreak also sold in B.C. and Saskatchewan

Health officials added Saskatchewan and British Columbia to the list of provinces where salami and cacciatore products connected to a salmonella outbreak were distributed. Eighty-seven people have now gotten sick after eating the contaminated lunch meat, with nine landing in the hospital.

Several brands of salami contaminated with salmonella

Labels from Rea brand Soppressata Salami Sweet, Rea brand Genoa Salami Sweet, Rea brand Genoa Salami Hot and Bona brand Mild Genova Salami seen in a composite image.
Labels from Rea brand Soppressata Salami Sweet, Rea brand Genoa Salami Sweet, Rea brand Genoa Salami Hot and Bona brand Mild Genova Salami are seen in this July 15, 2025, composite of handout images. Health Canada has issued a recall for the products due to salmonella contamination. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency/The Canadian Press)

Health officials are adding Saskatchewan and British Columbia to the list of provinces where salami and cacciatore products connected to a salmonella outbreak were distributed. 

The Public Health Agency of Canada says 87 people have now gotten sick after eating contaminated lunch meat, with nine of those people landing in the hospital. 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) previously reported the contaminated products were sold in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause severe illness and potentially deadly infections, particularly for children, pregnant people, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

Healthy people may experience short-term fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, cramps and diarrhea.

WATCH | Recall reality check: 

Are food recalls in Canada becoming more common?

8 months ago
Duration 6:20
A string of product recalls, including some involving E. coli, Listeria and salmonella, has sparked concerns about food safety. Lawrence Goodridge, director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety at the University of Guelph, says the data doesn’t indicate an increase in recalls but adds the pandemic did cause some disruptions in food safety.

The CFIA has recalled over 65 products linked to the outbreak, including Rea brand salamis, Bona brand salamis, Cosmo's Smoked Meats, Imperial Meats and other brands sold in grocery stores, specialty markets, restaurants, cafes, delis and butcher shops. A list of the specific products and their package codes is available on CFIA's website.

Consumers can subscribe for updates from CFIA on recalled products here.