No Single Source of E coli at XL Foods Inc., CFIA Says

XL Foods Inc. did not have documentation showing it regularly reviewed or made necessary updates to its beef processing facility in Edmonton, Alberta, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. XL is at the center of an ever-expanding beef recall in the U.S. and Canada over possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination that has so far involved more than 250 pounds. Although critics say the U.S. government has been slow to respond to the E coli threat, it's been Job One for Canadian health officials since the incident began. CFIA said it has not identified any single factor as a source of the E. coli contamination during its recent review of XL operations. It said the combination of several deficiencies could have played a role. "By themselves, each of these findings would not typically signal an immediate concern during the course of normal inspection activities," the CFIA report said. CFIA's review focused on XL's preventive control plan. "The detection of E. coli in slaughter facilities is not uncommon, and plants are expected to have adequate measures in place to monitor higher than normal detection rates and modify control measures accordingly," it said. "This trend analysis was not always conducted consistently at the facility." In addition, deviations were noted from the company's documented E. coli O157:H7 control measures and sampling and testing procedures. The company was unable to demonstrate through its documentation that it regularly reviewed or made necessary updates to its control plan for the facility. XL Foods Inc. has developed a response plan. The CFIA has accepted the company's plan and will monitor corrective actions to verify that they have been implemented effectively. CFIA has issued seven alerts identifying products that are affected by this recall.  CFIA continues to collect information from suppliers, distributors and retailers, so there is a possibility that additional products could be identified and further expansions could be issued. The agency is working with its provincial and federal public health counterparts. To date, health authorities have not established a link between this recall and any illnesses. CFIA is working to identify additional products affected by this recall and conduct effectiveness checks to verify that affected product has been removed from the marketplace. The in-depth review focused on the plant's preventative control measures, food safety policies and procedures, laboratory methodology and equipment and quality systems. © Food Safety News More Headlines from World »