The Maple Leaf Consumer Foods of Canada had detected Listeria in its routine environmental testing at its Bartor Road plant sporadically in 2007 and early 2008. Illness began in June 2008. By July 18, Maple Leaf Consumer Foods products were first implicated as a potential source of these illnesses. Samples of Maple Leaf Consumer Foods deli meat were collected from a long term care home and found to be contaminated with listeria. Genetic fingerprinting of the Listeria isolate from the food matched Listeria isolates collected from ill persons from several Canadian provinces. Additional food samples were collected which again confirmed the presence of Listeria. On August 18, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency advised the public not to eat any ready-to-eat, deli meat products.