The Alberta plant involved in a sweeping recall of beef products because of E. coli contamination concerns is not allowed to ship meat to the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says XL Foods Inc.'s Lakeside plant was decertified from exporting meat on Sept. 13. - three days before the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued the first of seven product recall notices in Canada.
"Delisted in this case means Canadian Est. 38 (XL Foods) is not eligible to export any meat, poultry or egg products to the U.S.," a spokesman for the U.S. food safety inspection service wrote Tuesday in an email from Washington, D.C.
"When a plant is delisted by the U.S. or the foreign government they are not eligible to export FSIS regulated products to the U.S."
Canada imposed the export ban at the request of the U.S. , a CFIA official later confirmed. The U.S. is the main buyer of Canadian beef exports.
The U.S.D.A. is also recalling XL Foods ground beef products from six grocery retail chains in eight states as part of a public health alert. These products shipped to the U.S. before the ban on the XL Foods plant was imposed.
A Canadian Food Inspection Agency review of the XL Foods plant in Brooks, Alta., found deviations in the way the company documented its E. coli control measures, but didn't find one factor that would lead to contamination.
The agency said so far more than 250 beef products have been recalled from stores across Canada. Health officials have not linked the recall to anyone getting sick.
XL Foods officials in Edmonton were not available to answer questions about the agency's review of its E. coli policies or the U.S. export ban. The company said in a statement it was taking steps to improve the way it operates, but also said its E. coli control programs work well.
Officials from Canada's beef industry hope the recall won't undermine consumer confidence in Canadian beef.
