OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 12/13/12 -- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Loblaw Companies Ltd. are warning the public not to consume certain Butcher's Choice Garlic Peppercorn Beef Burgers because this product may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

The affected product, Butcher's Choice Garlic Peppercorn Beef Burgers, is sold frozen in 1.13 kg packages bearing UPC 0 60383 89363 7. The affected product bears the code BEST BEFORE 2013 MR 03 EST 752.

This product has been distributed nationally.

This recall is the result of an ongoing investigation into a number of E. coli O157:H7 related illnesses in Canada. The CFIA is currently testing additional products collected from across the country. The recall may be expanded to include other codes or products as test results are received.

Food contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with this bacteria my cause serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhoea. Some people may have seizures or strokes and some may need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis. Others may live with permanent kidney damage. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

Loblaw Companies Ltd., Brampton, Ontario is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers:

Loblaw Customer Relations at 1-800-296-2332 or customerservice@presidentschoice.ca;

Public Relations Department, Loblaw Companies Limited at (905) 459-2500 or pr@loblaw.ca;

CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

For information on E. coli O157:H7, visit the Food Facts web page at:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/ecolie.shtml

For information on all food recalls, visit the CFIA's Food Recall Report at: http://active.inspection.gc.ca/eng/corp/recarapp_dbe.asp

To find out more about receiving recalls by e-mail, and other food safety facts, visit: www.foodsafety.gc.ca. Food and consumer product recalls are also available at http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca.