Containing the Crisis

PRLN 2200 Assignment #3

Samantha Clark

November 20, 2012

Good afternoon valued consumers. Thank you for being here. My name is Samantha Clark. As the President of Maple Leaf Foods, I am standing before you today deeply regretful of the circumstances leading up to this press conference. I am here today to discuss with you the recent Salmonella outbreak linked to our processing plant in Kitchener, Ontario. I will be addressing the information surrounding the situation, the information we know now, and how we are dealing with it. I will be happy to take any questions following this statement.

As of yesterday, November 19th, Maple Leaf Foods has issued a voluntary recall on all products that are and could be affected by salmonella. Distressingly, there are currently twelve cases of hospitalizations linked back to our products. This is unacceptable. To the effected and their families: we are gravely sorry.

Currently, there are 16 products on the recall list, including varieties of cold cut deli meats, beef patties, bacon, and wieners. These products have been distributed to local and national grocers, including the Loblaw Companies Limited chains, Fresh Co., Wal-Mart Supercenters and Food Basics.

Salmonellosis is a foodborne illness caused by Salmonella bacteria. If the bacteria find their way into a person's stomach and intestines, they can cause cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. There are several different strains of Salmonella bacteria, and they all can make a person sick. If you or your family have consumed any of our products and display any of these symptoms, please seek medical attention immediately.

What can you do to protect yourself as a customer? Simply return any product for a full refund. Do not consume the recalled product. To prevent food contamination proper food handling and preparation practices should always be observed when handling raw meat, especially ground beef. Contaminated products may not look or smell spoiled.

We have taken and are implementing many steps to mitigate this outbreak and any threat of illness. Our teams of educated scientists are examining our plant as we speak, and will not give the green light to reopen the plant and production lines until all bacteria has been found, contained, and taken care of. We are strenuously reviewing our processes in order to ensure that there is no possible way, on our end, for an unfortunate circumstance like this to happen

again. We are leaving no room for error. Currently, we are working closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to monitor the effectiveness of the recall. At this point we do not suspect any deliberate negligence by any of our 300 employees. However, we are still undergoing investigations to pinpoint and determine the cause of the outbreak to ensure this does not happen again.

We are also looking to improve and implement new regulations on our already strict processes. Your safety has always been, and will continue to be, our first concern. I personally will not open the plant until I myself feel confident and prepared to consume our products again. Maple Leaf has a deeply rooted values- based culture that defines what we hold important and what we expect of each other. These values represent our compass and underpin all aspects of our organization: the people we attract, how we act, the decisions we make and our business success. We strive to do whats right by always acting with integrity, which is fundamental to respecting where we work and who we work with, and having our customers, suppliers, communities and other stakeholders respect us in return.

We look forward to building and maintaining a strong, reliable, and dependable future with our consumers. We know that you do not owe us the chance to prove that our objectives, goals, beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions are stronger than ever- but it is our sincerest hope that you will allow us to make the changes necessary to improve. I hope that you will allow us the opportunity to prove our sorrow, diligence, and determination. We hope that you give us a chance to rebuild and regain your confidence in our products, reputation and the name we stand for at Maple Leaf.

I have addressed and stated the products that are being recalled due to a foodborne illness effecting consumers due to salmonella bacteria traced back to our Kitchener plant. I have outlined what our consumers can do, by returning the products. I will now answer any questions. Thank you.