A CBC Marketplace investigation has found worrying levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria on imported shrimp bought at major grocery stores across Canada. To test for the potential of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Marketplace bought 51 frozen shrimp products from major grocery stores in Calgary, Toronto, Saskatoon and Montreal, and sent them to a special lab at the University of Saskatchewan for analysis. Some companies said the antibiotic-resistant bacteria could have resulted from contaminated soil or water, or from shrimp processing and handling. While fully cooking the product should mitigate the risk, Rubin said live antibiotic-resistant bacteria, like ESBL, can be particularly concerning if eaten. Health minister respondsMarketplace asked federal Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor about what the government is doing to protect Canadians from antibiotic-resistant bacteria on imported shrimp.

Source: CBC News March 15, 2019 07:52 UTC