Maple Leaf Foods Inc., the Canadian food maker linked to bacteria outbreak that resulted in at least 20 deaths and the country's largest meat recall last year, has again tested positive for listeria. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Saturday inspected Cappola Food Inc., a subsidiary of Maple Leaf Foods that makes deli meat for the Canadian and U. S. markets, after testing showed positive results for listeria bacterium. No illnesses have however been reported.

CFIA spokesman Paul Mayers said the tainted meat tested in the past month has been destroyed as inspectors look for the cause of the bacteria. There is no evidence of anyone being sickened, and no warnings or recalls have been issued the CIFA said. Listeriosis is a type of food poisoning that can cause nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

In a statement Maple Leaf Foods said, "there was and is no food safety risk to the public." According to Health Canada the plant poses a low health risk as it produces predominantly dry cured meats, which don't promote the growth of listeria.

"Our food safety protocols are working and we have implemented the highest food safety practices in Canada, well above government and industry standards," said Michael H. McCain, Maple Leaf president.

"The greatest risk to the Canadian food safety system is the multitude of Canadian plants which do not find positive test results simply because they don't test adequately. If you test, you will find and you can eradicate with the proper protocols. If you don't test, you won't find, but there will be no eradication which is the real food safety risk in this country."

A total of 20 people died last summer due to the listeria outbreak which was linked to meat at the Toronto plant of Maple Leaf Foods, and this prompted Prime Minister Stephen Harper to call for a review of the country's food inspection systems. As a result the federal government tightened the meat inspection process and put more emphasis on auditing company records over visual inspections and an increased budget of $113-million was given to food and product safety agencies in the 2008 budget.

Maple Leaf said out of their 22 plants nationwide, last year's recall was limited to one plant in Toronto where listeria bacterium was found deep inside slicing equipment used on processed meats.

Linda Smith, a spokeswoman for Maple Leaf said the company has "the most stringent protocol" and therefore it is getting the recent positive tests. She added that positive tests may occur daily, but they do not pose a threat to the public when the product is stopped from going to market. (Harkiran Contributed to this report)