Federal Government Review Of Beef Recall

The federal government has appointed an independent expert panel to review the events and circumstances related to the XL Foods E.coli investigation and recall.

The review team will examine the events that contributed to the outbreak at XL's plant at Brooks, and whether the Canadian Food Inspection Agency or XL could have detected the contamination prior to the meat entering the distribution chain.

They will also look at the CFIA's response and how it handled the situation.

"This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure that Canadians continue to have one of the safest food safety systems in the world," said federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz in a statement. "We take the safety of Canada’s food supply very seriously, and we remain committed to the continuous improvement of Canada’s strong food safety systems that allow Canadian consumers to shop with confidence."

The final report from the panel will include recommendations for strengthening prevention strategies and regulatory oversight. That report will be made public once completed.

The panel consists of former BC Chief Veterinary Officer Ronald Lewis, Northwest Territories Chief Public Health Officer Andre Corriveau and former head of food safety with Carvelle Foods, Ronald Usborne.

XL Foods Review (from AAFC):

The review will carry out the following:

(i) examine the events, circumstances, and factors that contributed to the E. coli outbreak in XL Foods Inc. products, including the design, implementation, and oversight of food safety preventative control programs, inspection policies and protocols, and information exchange between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and its food safety system partners, includ­ing XL Foods Inc. and foreign regulators;

(ii) consider whether the Canadian Food Inspection Agency or XL Foods Inc. could rea­sonably have detected the contamination prior to beef products entering into distribution and commerce; and

(iii) review the effectiveness of the response of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in light of the additional resources provided to it since 2006 by the Government of Canada, in conjunction with the response of its food safety system partners, including XL Foods Inc. and foreign regulators, to the E. coli outbreak, including but not limited to the effectiveness of their prevention, detection, recall response, incident management, and investigative activities, as well as their collaboration and communication with one another, the public, and stakeholders for the purpose of ensuring consumer safety.