TORONTO (AP) -- Class-action lawsuits against a Canadian food manufacturer at the center of a deadly bacteria outbreak linked to 20 deaths nationwide have been settled, the lawyers behind the suits said Thursday.
The lawyers said Maple Leaf Foods will have to pay out up to 27 million Canadian dollars ($23 million) after the company was linked to contaminated meat products that caused a listeriosis outbreak in Canada.
Listeria bacterium, which can cause fever, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, was found embedded deep inside slicing equipment in the company's Toronto plant that was used on processed meats including bologna, turkey, ham and other products.
Maple Leaf recalled hundreds of products in Canada after the outbreak.
Damages will be paid to people who purchased or ate Maple Leaf products included in the recall, and also companies that bought the products for resale.
The lawyers said the amount of money each class member receives will depend upon the severity of their illness.
The settlement still needs to be approved by the court. Hearings will be held early in the new year.
After the crisis hit Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada have said they will conduct comprehensive assessments of Maple Leaf products.
