The list of tainted beef products being recalled by XL Foods, Canada, has now expanded. The list now includes more than 1,800 beef products, including ground beef and steak.
The number of people affected by the E.Coli O157 tainted ground beef from the company has risen to 10; seven cases in Alberta, two in Quebec and one in Newfoundland and Labrador, reports the Public Health and Safety. No other case has been recorded so far.
The detection of the presence of a strain of E.Coli in the beef products manufactured by XL Foods, in Alberta, has resulted in one of the largest recalls by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). E.Coli is a kind of bacterium which leads to food-poisoning in humans, when consumed.
XL Foods has been shut since Sept. 27. However, tainted beef products from the company were found Sept. 13, the same day that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found tainted beef imports from Canada upon inspection and halted imports. According to the Globe and Mail, Hong Kong, Japan and Puerto Rico have stopped imports of beef products from XL and are pulling those that have already hit shelves.
The company, along with the CFIA, has been severely criticized for not responding to the crisis in an appropriate manner. XL Foods did not carry out the necessary steps required while checking the beef for any kind of taint; the CFIA announced an alert three days too late. CFIA is making efforts to bridge communication gaps with people.
XL Foods admitted to sending out beef products that were manufactured on days during which it did not follow testing protocols, Globe and Mail reports. According to CFIA's review, XL Foods failed to apply proper preventive controls when it was found that the slaughterhouse had higher than normal E.Coli presence, reports mealpoultry.com. The CFIA also doubts whether the company carried out regular checks and testing, adds Meat and Poultry.
However, XL Foods has apologized to the public for the sickness caused by consumption of beef products, according to Reuters. It promised to "exceed existing high standards and regain the trust of Canadian consumers," the report adds. The company will remain closed until it follows the rules that the CFIA has imposed upon it.
Many worry that this will lead to a drop in the export of beef from Canada. Beef products bring in a majority of Canada's export revenue. The CFIA will have to make efforts to reassure buyers to keep faith and continue buying beef products from Canada, reports the Calgary Herald.
