There has been a massive recall of the meat products of Maple Leaf Foods, a leading, global food processing company, following a listeria outbreak.

As of Thursday, there were 29 confirmed cases of listeriosis caused by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Of the 29 victims, 15 have died — 12 in Ontario, one in British Columbia, one in Saskatchewan and one in Quebec. In seven of those cases, listeriosis has not been confirmed as the actual cause of death.

There are now 36 suspected cases of listeriosis — 19 in Ontario, one in British Columbia, five in Alberta, one in Manitoba and 10 in Quebec.

On August 19, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a recall of Maple Leaf sliced corned beef, roast beef, pepperoni, salami, sausages, smoked ham, and turkey thought to be contaminated with the bacteria listeria monocytogenes.

Over the weekend, the number food products recalled rose to 220, including packaged sandwiches made with the tainted meat, with a total estimated value estimated of 20 million dollars.

It is in such a backdrop there seems a major rush for blood tests. Authorities say that it is normal for people who've eaten recalled meat to wonder if they'll get sick with listeriosis – the bacteria has an incubation period of 11 to 70 days. But in Ontario, so many people are seeking blood tests that the labs are unable to cope with the demand on them.