TORONTO – More than 1,500 beef products have been recalled across Canada amidst an outbreak of E.Coli infection, and we asked what Global News viewers wanted to know about the recall on Facebook.
Some of the answers to your questions are still not clear, but below is what we know so far.
Tammy J. Knowlan-Many asked: Since B.C. is a producer of top grade beef, why are we importing it from Alberta?
Tom Vicars from the B.C. Livestock Producers Association says: “We don’t have any large packing plants to supply the big chain stores…The process gets done in Alberta. It would come back here like it would go back to Ontario or any other province.”
Colleen Smith asked: Why did the U.S. inspectors understand a positive e-coli result and we didn’t?
Agency president George Da Pont says Canadian inspectors asked for information from XL Foods Inc. on Sept. 6 about “critical points” where E. coli might become a problem, but didn’t get it right away.
That was two days after E. coli was found by U.S. inspectors in a shipment of beef heading south of the border. Da Pont said Canadian inspectors made the same discovery within hours and traced the meat to XL.
He added all the beef from the U.S. shipment never made it to the retail level, so it was decided not to pull back any other beef already in stores.
Global News is waiting for a response from XL Foods on this issue. XL Foods has posted a question and answer on their website that you can view here.
Barbara Halstead asked: So does this mean I cannot eat the meat even if it is cooked well?
That’s right—you should not eat it. Even if you have already “prepared and stored this meat (for example made chilli or spaghetti sauce), do not consume it,” advises the CFIA website.
Sabrina Jones asked: How often is our meat is tested and why isn't it caught before the meat is released for sale and consumption?
and
Chris Williams asked: As for the contamination I don't understand why this plant wasn't shut down the instant the contaminated meat was discovered?
According to the CFIA website: “The detection of E. coli O157:H7 by the CFIA did not lead to an immediate recall because the CFIA quickly determined that potentially harmful product never reached the Canadian marketplace. As such, there was no basis to issue a public alert or recall. In addition, the CFIA asked Health Canada to conduct a health risk assessment to ensure that no further action was required on other products from that facility.”
A statement issued by XL Foods on Thursday afternoon says: “We believed XL Foods was a leader in the beef processing industry with our food safety protocols, but we have now learned it was not enough.” The statement continues to say that the plant “will re-open under intensified and enhanced testing protocols. E coli tests take at least 18 hours to complete as cultures are grown and meat will continue to be held under quarantine until results have been analyzed.”
Thanks for your questions, and stay tuned as more details emerge from the XL Foods beef recall. For our timeline of events, click here.
Global News