E. coli found in beef trim at Alberta plant

HIGH RIVER, Alta. (The Canadian Press) — Potentially deadly E. coli bacteria was detected at a Cargill meat processing plant in southern Alberta earlier this week.

The bacteria was discovered in a portion of beef trim at the facility in High River and was flagged during routine safety testing.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Cargill both say that none of the contaminated product got out of the plant.

Cargill spokesman Mike Martin says it proves new safety measures put in place after a massive beef recall at the XL Foods plant in Brooks are working.

The CFIA has officials on site and are working with Cargill staff to determine the source of the bacteria.

Contaminated beef from the XL plant sickened 18 people across Canada last fall and sparked a federal government review into what caused the outbreak and why tainted meat ended up on store shelves and in peoples’ kitchens.

“We’re pleased we were able to demonstrate the system works as intended,” Martin said Thursday.

“Nobody wants to produce food that makes anybody sick and we do everything we can to minimize that potential.”

The CFIA said in an email to Global Calgary that if staff notice “anything that may put the health of Canadians at risk, the agency will take immediate action.”