Canadians hoping for answers about the biggest beef recall in Canadian history may get some today as federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz takes questions in Calgary. Ritz, who hasn’t been at question period in Ottawa since the recall was expanded over the weekend, is taking questions at a Canadian Food Inspection Agency laboratory at 12:30 p.m. ET.
The recall of beef possibly tainted by E. coli now affects 1,500 products processed at an XL Foods plant in Brooks, Alta. and hits stores in every province and territory, as well as in 41 American states.
There have been five confirmed cases of illness linked to a Costco store that sold meat from XL Foods, and five other cases under investigation. There were also more cases of E. coli than usual in Saskatchewan in September, leading the province’s Ministry of Health to investigate whether there’s a link to the recalled beef.
Food safety continued to be a major issue on Parliament Hill Wednesday as MPs headed into their weekly caucus meetings.
New Democrat MP Ruth-Ellen Brosseau, the party’s deputy agriculture critic, says farmers in her Quebec riding are worried about the long-term effect on the industry. The U.S. closed its border to shipments from the XL Foods plant in Brooks, Alta. after discovering E. coli in two samples of beef.
“It’s going to affect the whole beef industry. So I’m looking for the future, I want to know what’s going to happen in the next few months, few weeks,” she said.
Officials say they were alerted on Sept. 4 to a positive E. coli test in beef shipped to the United States, but recalls in Canada didn’t start until Sept. 16.