Prof. Keith Warriner, Department of Food Science, spoke to CBC News about an outbreak of salmonella infections in Ontario and Quebec that has been traced back to a brand of Italian sausage.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has identified Filicetti brand cured sausage as the source of the outbreak.

Warriner, who specializes in food safety, said it is unusual for salmonella to find its way into fermented, cured meat products such as sausage. That’s because the acidity and dryness of the meat should prevent the growth of bacteria.

“When you get a salmonella outbreak of this nature, it tells you the system has broken down somewhere,” Warriner said.

Warriner researches food safety, food microbiology and pathogens. He studies enhanced food safety in meat processing, and his team has helped advance knowledge in emerging pathogens, food-borne hazards detection technologies and intervention technologies.