Containing the Crisis-speech 3

7/29/2019 Containing the Crisis-speech 3

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Containing the CrisisPRLN 2200 Assignment #3Samantha Clark


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Good afternoon valued consumers. Thank you for being here. My

name is Samantha Clark. As the President ofMaple Leaf Foods, I amstanding before you today deeply regretful of the circumstances

leading up to this press conference. I am here today to discuss with

you the recent Salmonella outbreak linked to our processing plant in

Kitchener, Ontario. I will be addressing the information surrounding

the situation, the information we know now, and how we are dealing

with it. I will be happy to take any questions following this statement.

As of yesterday, November 19th, Maple Leaf Foods has issued a

voluntary recall on all products that are and could be affected by

salmonella. Distressingly, there are currently twelve cases of

hospitalizations linked back to our products. This is unacceptable. To

the effected and their families: we are gravely sorry.

Currently, there are 16 products on the recall list, including

varieties of cold cut deli meats, beef patties, bacon, and wieners.

These products have been distributed to local and national grocers,

including the Loblaw Companies Limited chains, Fresh Co., Wal-Mart

Supercenters and Food Basics.


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Salmonellosis is a foodborne illness caused by Salmonella

bacteria. If the bacteria find their way into a person's stomach and

intestines, they can cause cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

There are several different strains ofSalmonella bacteria, and they all

can make a person sick. If you or your family have consumed any of

our products and display any of these symptoms, please seek medical

attention immediately.

What can you do to protect yourself as a customer? Simply

return any product for a full refund. Do not consume the recalled

product. To prevent food contamination proper food handling and

preparation practices should always be observed when handling raw

meat, especially ground beef. Contaminated products may not look or

smell spoiled.

We have taken and are implementing many steps to mitigate

this outbreak and any threat of illness. Our teams of educated

scientists are examining our plant as we speak, and will not give the

green light to reopen the plant and production lines until all bacteria

has been found, contained, and taken care of. We are strenuously

reviewing our processes in order to ensure that there is no possible

way, on our end, for an unfortunate circumstance like this to happen
http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/germs.htmlhttp://kidshealth.org/kid/body/digest_noSW.htmlhttp://kidshealth.org/kid/body/digest_noSW.htmlhttp://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/germs.html


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again. We are leaving no room for error. Currently, we are working

closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to monitor the

effectiveness of the recall. At this point we do not suspect any

deliberate negligence by any of our 300 employees. However, we are

still undergoing investigations to pinpoint and determine the cause of

the outbreak to ensure this does not happen again.

We are also looking to improve and implement new regulations

on our already strict processes. Your safety has always been, and will

continue to be, our first concern. I personally will not open the plant

until I myself feel confident and prepared to consume our products

again.

Maple Leaf has a deeply rooted values- based culture that

defines what we hold important and what we expect of each other.

These values represent our compass and underpin all aspects of our

organization: the people we attract, how we act, the decisions we

make and our business success.

We strive to do whats right by always acting with integrity,

which is fundamental to respecting where we work and who we work

with, and having our customers, suppliers, communities and other

stakeholders respect us in return.


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We look forward to building and maintaining a strong, reliable,

and dependable future with our consumers. We know that you do not

owe us the chance to prove that our objectives, goals, beliefs, plans,

expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions are stronger than

ever- but it is our sincerest hope that you will allow us to make the

changes necessary to improve. I hope that you will allow us the

opportunity to prove our sorrow, diligence, and determination. We

hope that you give us a chance to rebuild and regain your confidence

in our products, reputation and the name we stand for at Maple Leaf.

I have addressed and stated the products that are being recalled

due to a foodborne illness effecting consumers due to salmonella

bacteria traced back to our Kitchener plant. I have outlined what our

consumers can do, by returning the products. I will now answer any

questions. Thank you.

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Containing the Crisis-speech 3