More than 60 ill, 17 hospitalized in salmonella outbreak linked to mini pastries

The Public Health Agency of Canada says 61 cases of salmonella across the country, including 17 that have required hospitalization, have been linked to recalled mini pastries.

The agency said the Sweet Cream brand mini pastries have been distributed at bakeries, hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals, retirement residences, and catered events.

It said 33 of the 61 illnesses are in Quebec, 21 in Ontario, four in British Columbia, two in Alberta and one in New Brunswick.

“People became sick between late September 2024 and mid-December 2024,” the public health agency wrote in a statement Sunday.

“Many people who became sick reported eating mini pastries at catered events or other establishments where the recalled product was served.”

The agency said people who got sick range in age from three to 88 and 61 per cent of them are female.

A notice issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the recall covers Sweet Cream mini patisserie four-kilogram boxes and one-kilogram trays with best before dates from June 17, 2025 up to and including Nov. 15, 2025.

It said healthy people infected by salmonella may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea and the infection can be more serious for young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

Public health officials said the investigation is ongoing and more cases may be reported in the outbreak because there is a period between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported.

The warning comes on the heels of another salmonella-related recall of eggs, also issued this weekend.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled certain brands of eggs in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and elsewhere due to a possible salmonella contamination.

In that case, the recall was triggered by test results and there have been no reported illnesses, the agency said Saturday.

The egg recall covers Compliments, Foremost, Golden Valley Eggs, IGA, no name and Western Family eggs with expiry dates of Feb. 16, Feb. 22 and March 1.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2024

The Canadian Press