OTTAWA — Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz managed to avoid any direct mention of the listeriosis crisis today during a two-hour debate with political rivals.

Ritz, who fled the debate through a back door to avoid speaking to the media, is again facing fresh calls for his resignation.

The listeriosis outbreak, which has killed 19 people so far, has been linked to packaged meat products from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto.

During the debate, Liberal agriculture critic Wayne Easter slammed Ritz for being more concerned about the political impact of the outbreak than the health and safety of Canadians.

Ritz argued that the Conservatives reversed cuts to food safety imposed by the Liberals, added $113 million to the food inspection agency's budget and hired 200 new inspectors.

The minister has come under fire for making inappropriate jokes about listeriosis and for appearing preoccupied with the potential political impact during a conference call with officials last month.