# XL Foods tainted beef;(another bad meat scare)



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

It seems to be happening more frequently these days, if it's not Listeria (Maple Leaf packaged meats) a "couple of years"
ago, it's red meat and E-Coli contamination. This time it's an Alberta slaughter house/meat packing plant.

Of course the CFIA says they are "on top of the situation. PM Harper, when asked in the House of Commons (Question Period),
publicly exclaimed. (paraphrasinghere)...."Mr Speaker...our gov't has hired "700 additional inspectors......in the last...to ensure that the Canadian public is meat is safe". 

When CBC interviewed the head of the CFIA meat inspectors (union?) he mentioned on TV...(paraphrased here again)...
"Where are these additional 700 meat inspectors, the gov't has hired? I am not aware of them..
yes there were 700 professionals hired, but they may be doing other things, not out in the field inspecting meat packing plants"..

So what is going on here? Is PM Harper trying to diffuse the current NATIONAL tainted meat crisis, 
by providing a "spin doctored statement" on the current crisis,
to make the Conservative gov't look like they are actually doing anything about it?

And why is the current Agriculture Minister, "unavailable" in the last few days, when people are trying to find out what 
is being done about the current tainted meat crisis, and how safe is meat now for the consumer?

<extraction>
_More beef was ordered off Canadian store shelves amid a promise of more recalls to come Friday as *food-safety officials sought to explain why it took three weeks to shut down the Alberta meat-packing plant at the centre of Canada's latest E. coli scare*.
_

_The stores named in the latest release include Wal-Mart, Food Basics, Metro, Co-op stores and Steakhouse Angus Select.
In Quebec, Marche Richelieu, Marches A-M-I, Metro, Metro F, Metro Plus, Metro Plus F and Super C were added to the list.
And the CFIA says further recalls are likely in the days ahead._

_Liberal MP Ralph Goodale blamed the E. coli scare on changes to the meat inspection system introduced by the Harper Conservatives.
"*The company fell short of proper standards way back in August, and this government's inspection system failed to be on top of it then*," Goodale told the House of Commons.
_ <end of extraction>

Full story..on the latest tainted meat fiasco
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/fo...ds-handling-tainted-beef-scare-074315796.html

For those that like to buy fresh ground beef or steaks..better check with your store first where that meat has come from!

E-coli (not sure of which strain) is a dangerous bacteria, that if it survives in partially cooked hamburger or steaks can
enter the blood stream, and release dangerous toxins that destroy your organs...and damage your kidneys. Once that
damage is done, it cannot be reversed.

There is a class action lawsuit started against XL Foods, so even if it still manages to survive somehow from the meat recall
plant shutdown, it may not be around for long, once the victims of the e-coli that have suffered irreparable health issues..
get done with them in the courts. 

So the (two part)question is:

a) Is meat processing deteriorated to the point that dangerous bacteria can get introduced anywhere along the line?

b)Is the CFIA effective enough in protecting Canadian consumers? 
Yes they issued a recall, only after alerted by a serious case of e-coli food poisioning, weeks after the contaminated meat hit the supermarket shelves.


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

By and large, it's media driven. Don't get me wrong, it is a story, but so far definitively, FIVE cases and no deaths have been linked to the issue.

"irreparable health issues"?? I think you're over stating the epic-ness of the illness. About 2–7% of infections lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome and of that, it's only fatal around 3-5% of the time.

Meat processing isn't deteriorating, bacteria can always become introduced anywhere. It's how the world works. Most cases of food poisoning happen at home. Should we have inspectors standing in each kitchen?

XL foods won't disappear. Did Maple Leaf? So long as there wasn't negligence on the part of the company, a lawsuit won't be successful.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

I know that at least some clients of XL are preparing contingency plans in the likely event they fail. Recalls are very costly. This incident comes after New Food Classics failed around the time they had a recall in March of this year. The company was in bankruptcy proceedings already, but after that incident, the company was liquidated rather than restructured.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

crazyjackcsa said:


> By and large, it's media driven. Don't get me wrong, it is a story, but so far definitively, FIVE cases and no deaths have been linked to the issue.


13 cases (E-Coli) in Sask, but they are still investigating those 13 cases to see if they are related



> "irreparable health issues"?? I think you're over stating the epic-ness of the illness.
> About 2–7% of infections lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome and of that, it's only fatal around 3-5% of the time.


Yes, I suppose it depends on the strain of E-Coli. 
The Walkerton (e-coli infections due to unclorinated municipal water and runoff from local pig farms getting
into the town community well, was a particular bad strain. Several deaths and many people are sick to this day with damaged organs.

It's nice to quote statistics, I suppose but when you say *'it's only fatal around 3-5% of the time*.' you don't want to be the one (or your children) that the "fatal" statistic involves, I would think. 



> Meat processing isn't deteriorating, bacteria can always become introduced anywhere. It's how the world works. Most cases of food poisoning happen at home. Should we have inspectors standing in each kitchen?


If you say the e-coli can be introduced in the consumer's kitchen, WHY did CFIA pull the licence and shut down XL Foods and order a massive recall?
Those meat products that were at the plant or in the stores that XL supply with meat, hadn't reached the consumer counters or tables yet, so I would think that this argument is a weak one.

Yes, e-coli can be introduced from an infected person and bad sanitation (like in a restaurant meat cooking area) or at the kitchen counter during preparation, but those would be isolated cases and not a national recall. 

There had to be enough evidence in XL's meat products that more than one kind of meat was infected. They mentioned "muscle meats", so that would be steaks and anything made from muscle meats.



> XL foods won't disappear. Did Maple Leaf? So long as there wasn't negligence on the part of the company, a lawsuit won't be successful.


Maybe not, but it's done a fair amount of damage to their reputation. Of course, consumers (who are always shopping for best prices on meats
at the grocery stores (Costco/Walmart) etc, will have short memories of this incident in a few months..then it will be "business as usual".
Maple Leaf Foods did survive, but their stocks took a big hit after the Listeria incident, because of fear of lawsuits.

The company launched a huge TV media campaign a few weeks afterwords, with the president of Maple Leaf foods trying to assure the public that they had improved their cleanliness processes and their packaged meats were safe to eat again. 
Maybe some people went back and purchased ML meats after they became available again on store meat shelves, but most people still wouldn't trust them.


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

carverman said:


> It's nice to quote statistics, I suppose but when you say *'it's only fatal around 3-5% of the time*.' you don't want to be the one (or your children) that the "fatal" statistic involves, I would think.
> 
> 
> 
> Maybe some people went back and purchased ML meats after they became available again on store meat shelves, but most people still wouldn't trust them.


Okay, so 18 cases, no deaths. Countrywide. I like my odds.

My point is, I'll take my chances. You have about a 1 in 3,000 chance of slipping and falling and dying in a bathtub. The chances of dying from Listeria, or E-Coli, or any other food borne bacteria is far lower. We don't yell "FOR SHAME" on bathtub makers, and jump to conclusions. It's a risk, and one we all take. 

If the company did something criminal, or neglected something, they should be held accountable. But, as they say "$hit happens." 



carverman said:


> If you say the e-coli can be introduced in the consumer's kitchen, WHY did CFIA pull the licence and shut down XL Foods and order a massive recall?


 I didn't say that, I said bacteria, of any sort. Happens all the time. CFIA pulling a licence and shutting down XL Foods is pretty much SOP until the source for the contamination can be found.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

" More people shop at Dominion..and It's mainly because of the meat" used to be a popular jingle years ago. 
Now with the latest expanded meat recall, you just don't know what is safe anymore as more cases of E-Coli food poisoning crop up. Costco appears to have been selling XL meat products too.

Now the big question is...was it just bad sanitation at the XL slaughter house, or was there a load of ecoli infected cattle that were dropped off at that plant?
read the full story..
http://www.edmontonexaminer.com/2012/10/06/canadian-beef-recall-expanded-once-again

<excerpt from the above link>
_The contamination has sparked the largest meat recall in Canadian history since it began Sept. 16._

*CFIA officials said the problems began when a high volume of E. coli-positive cattle entered the plant, followed by "inconsistent" analysis of samples.*

*A range of issues with maintenance and sanitation have also come to light, including inappropriate washing procedures by employees tasked with sorting contaminated beef trim.*

Ok what is it...infected cattle or inappropriate washing procedures by employees at the plant tasked with handling the contaminated meat trim.
I saw the CBC news clip last night about the employees praying at a makeshift Mosque because they had been layed off. These were "imports"
by XL Foods from ME countries through an employment agency headed by a Middle Eastern immigration broker. Apparently XL required 
the immigration of these workers because they couldn't find anyone else in Canada willing to do the work...ok..so what sanitation training did XL
food give these new employees before starting work? 

Maybe it was just...
"Here's a pair of rubber boots, rubber apron and a pressure hose..go and wash down the manure around the carcasses as they proceed down
the assembly line. Try and not get the spatter and keep the flies off the meat ok? Lunch is 30 minutes and if you go to the bathroom,
try and remember to flush the toilets and use toilet papers, not your hands please.":rolleyes2:

What happens to the millions of pounds of contaminated meat? Pet food? Sausage meat? Taco Belle meat sauce? (just spice the
heck out of it to kill the funny taste), big hole in the ground, ship it to a 3rd world country like Africa? dump it into a hole in
the ground?..what?


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## LondonHomes (Dec 29, 2010)

It feels like a replay of the Ontario Tory's a few years back when Mike Harris cut the number of meat inspectors. Why didn't the Federal government learn the lesson of not skimping on the food supply system?

What is next another Walkerton?


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## Daniel A. (Mar 20, 2011)

I'm not really that concerned I still buy beef.
To me the bigger issue is why we allow operations of this size that makes controls a difficult task is this necessary or just corporate greed.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Never mind the Harris Tories. This government failed to learn the lessons from the Maple Leaf listeria outbreak. They spent $5 million on an investigation, and promptly tossed that report in the garbage. As a result, 11 people are sick, people could have died, and millions of dollars of reputational damage has been done to the Canadian cattle industry.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Apparently, the CFIA is conducting tests to determine if XL can get their licence re-instated and resume operation..but the damage has already been done to the Alberta beef industry.

The big question now is whether people can trust Alberta beef again to buy it in stores, once the XL plant resumes operation.
CFIA failed the consumer public already, what assurances does the meat buying public have now if the plant (and others like it) resumes operation? The recall was widespread from BC to Nfld, with several people getting sick, even one in NFLD.

Somebody at CFIA obviously was asleep at the wheel a few weeks ago to let millions of pounds of (possibly infected) beef slip out and hit the store shelves. What where these meat inspectors doing at the time?..on vacation? Quality control
has to be constant on anything in the food chain. Were the CFIA meat inspectors assigned to XL on the take and told
to "ignore" the volume operations there? 

What's the point of having these CFIA meat inspections, if they are not constant and routinely done on a daily basis?


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

LondonHomes said:


> It feels like a replay of the Ontario Tory's a few years back when Mike Harris cut the number of meat inspectors. Why didn't the Federal government learn the lesson of not skimping on the food supply system?
> 
> What is next another Walkerton?


Walkerton was the result of incompetence by the Koebel bros. 
<excerpt from wiki>
A_t the time of the event Stan Koebel was manager and Frank Koebel was water foreman. Neither had any formal training in their position, retaining their jobs through three decades of on-the-job experience. The water supply became contaminated with the highly dangerous O157:H7 strain of E. coli bacteria, from farm runoff into an adjacent well that was known for years to be vulnerable to contamination._

*At least seven people died directly from drinking the E. coli contaminated water, who might have been saved if the Walkerton Public Utilities Commission had admitted to contaminated water sooner, and about 2,500 became ill.*

D_uring the time of the tragedy, both Stan and Frank Koebel denied any wrongdoing and firmly held that the water at Walkerton was safe to drink. However, as the tragedy grew in severity the two were eventually part of the criminal investigation into the tragedy, and, as a result, both would eventually plead guilty to a charge of common nuisance through a plea bargain. In their plea, they admitted to falsifying reports and Frank admitted to drinking on the job, as a beer fridge did exist at the facility.[2]
They were both formally sentenced on December 21, 2004, with Stan receiving one year in jail and Frank Koebel nine months of house arrest. Reaction to their sentencing was mixed._ <end of extraction>

full story on the Koebel bros and Premier Mike Harris denying any responsibility as more and more reports people were serious sick and several deaths occurred as a result. Mike Harris, architect of the "common sense revolution"..cut back on
the water inspections as a economic measure to balance his budget..it backfired because the Tories spent MILLIONS 
on the investigation and inquiry commission to find out who was responsible in the end.
It didn't help the victims who died or became seriously injured from the effects of the e-coli strain, requiring a lifetime
of kidney dialysis. 

Years of liability lawsuits followed, and the provincial gov't paid out millions to the victims (and may be still paying compensation), for those that are still alive and were seriously injured by the bacteria in the drinking water. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkerton_Tragedy

economic costs of that tragedy was closer to $65 million..some of that money spent could have kept the water inspectors on the job in the first place!

The final report on the impact of the Walkerton tragedy...

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~live/Livernois_14 Final Report.pdf


While contaminated beef may not be the same severity as the water coming into your household from your municipality..there is a sense of trust that* both the water you drink, and the food you eat is safe because the gov't hires inspectors to protect the public..*

Apparently, this is not the case anymore.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

As of this week, XL FOODS can resume limited operations in the beef processing plant,and recall 800 employees out of the 2000 or so, 
given pink slips.
Isn't it amazing that on one hand, a daredevil can free fall and survive from the edge of space , yet keeping our food supply]
safe to eat is becoming a more difficult challenge these days?

What is technology doing for the food processing industry? Why can't they use irradiation on the food before it's shipped?
That would kill the bacteria..but people are adverse to having their food irradiated because of (possible) long term effects like cancer?


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## Sampson (Apr 3, 2009)

carverman said:


> Why can't they use irradiation on the food before it's shipped?
> That would kill the bacteria..but people are adverse to having their food irradiated because of (possible) long term effects like cancer?


Irradiating your food CANNOT cause cancer. It can deplete some of the nutrients in the food, but to believe enough radiation remains in the food is far-fetched.

It isn't that technologies or best practices aren't already in place to make our food clean, it is simply the cost, both to the producer and the consumer.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Correct: irradiating foods does not leave residual radioactivity.

Also, yes, this case is not a matter of failure of technology. This is a wholesale disregard for food safety best practices. It was entirely preventable...


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