Food Recall: Some Ground Beef May Contain E.coli

Sep 17, 2012

CFIA Recalls Various Ground Beef Products

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recalling a number of ground beef brands over concerns of E.coli contamination. There are over three different brands, including Calahoo Meats, Kirkland Signature and Safeway, that are affected by the recall and several different types of ground beef including lean ground beef, burgers, meatballs and meatloaf. The full list of the products that are being recalled can be found on the CFIA website. The ground beef products, although under a number of different brands, are all from the manufacture - XL Foods Inc. based in Edmonton, Alberta.

While this is a voluntary food recall and there have been no reported illness, consumers should be cautious as food contaminated by E.coli may not even look or smell spoiled. Consumers are warned not to take any chances if they have purchased any of the products that are affected under the recall as consumption of food with E.coli bacteria may cause serious health complications and in the most serious cases, may result in death. For more information about the recall call CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.