The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is adding whole muscle cuts of beef, such as steaks, ribs, and roasts, to the list of previously recalled ground beef products. The public, food service establishments, retailers, distributors, and manufactures are being warned not to consume, serve, use, or cell certain beef products manufactured and sold by XL Foods (Est. 38) because they may be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7. This is the ninth expansion of the original recall. There is no word on whether or not this recall will expand to the United States.
The Canadian government is investigating several illnesses in Alberta linked to mechanically tenderized beef produced at the XL plant. The government also temporarily closed the XL Foods facility and seized its contents. No products will be released until they pass with a negative E. coli 0157:H7 test. In the U.S., the USDA has issued a public health warning for ground beef products made from beef trim imported from XL Foods. Those products were sold in stores such as Safeway, Kroger, and Walmart in 30 states.
If you have purchased any beef products, check with the store to see if that food is part of the recall. Foods contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7 will not look, taste, or smell spoiled. E. coli food poisoning can cause serious and life-threatening complications, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) that can destroy the kidneys. If you or anyone you know has eaten beef and experienced the symptoms of an E. coli 0157:H7 infection, including bloody diarrhea and severe abdominal cramps, see your doctor immediately. For more information, call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342.
