The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a public warning against Ontario pastrami.

The warning has been issued due to suspected contamination of the product with Listeria monocytogenes.

The Olds Style pastrami made by Mariposa Meats Inc., Mississauga has been reported to be tainted by the CFIA. The pastrami is sold in 375 gram packages with the UPC code 6 28292 50004 8 and to be consumed best before 09JA15.

The CFIA has also clarified that till date no reports of illness associated with the consumption of the product have been reported.

Listeria monocytogenes infected foods can cause serious complications which brain and blood infections and in severe cases it can also lead to death. Elderly, infants and patients are most prone to the infection.

But the FIA has not been able to identify the emanating source of the contamination. But the agency is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall in earnest.

"It's just one product that's affected right now," said CFIA spokesperson Garfield Balsom. "Our investigation is still continuing in that facility."

Low glycemic diet helps in diabetes control

A new research indicates that a "low-glycemic foods" diet which includes beans, nuts, peas, lentils and pasta  was better than  a high-cereal-fiber diet comprising of pumpernickel, rye pita, quinoa, large flake oatmeal and oat bran as far as it is concerned with lowering blood sugar and other risk factors for heart disease in people with diabetes.

The markets are full of all types of drugs to control blood sugar levels, but their efficacy as regards reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems has not been established. Thus a proper diet becomes pertinent in controlling the disease.

Carbohydrates in a low-glycemic-index diet are absorbed through the small intestine and converted to blood sugar at a slower rate than higher glycemic foods. This means that  blood sugar is more stable.

The findings of the report have been published in Journal of the American Medical Association. Research was conducted on 210 individuals with type 2 diabetes treated with anti-diabetes medications. They were randomly allocated to go on to either a low-GI diet or a high-fiber diet for 6 months. It was observed that there was a change in A1C in the blood, which reflects glucose levels over the long term.