Mr. Chair, when the agency issues food recalls, it is always based on a health risk assessment. As for the recalled products, Health Canada assessed the risks.
When Health Canada does a risk assessment, that is how we categorize recalls. You mentioned foods that usually require cooking. That fact is often indicated on the package. For example, certain soups need to be cooked, while other products do not, these being ready-to-eat foods. The ready-to-eat foods were recalled. In the case of those that need to be cooked, cooking kills the Salmonella. That was the distinction that was made.
But it is a bit more complicated than that, because there are different kinds of products on the market, different processes used by the food industry, such as cooking processes and steam-based processes. All of that is assessed before a recall is issued. Then it is shared with Health Canada's experts, who determine whether a risk exists or not. That is how recalls work.