A colourized low-temperature electron micrograph of a cluster of E. coli bacteria. Individual bacteria in this photo are oblong and colored brown. (Eric Erbe photo and colourization by Christopher Pooley courtesy ARS/USDA)

Ryding-Regency’s federal beef packing licenses cancelled

Citing “false or misleading information” given them during an E. coli probe, food safety officials have now permanently pulled the federal slaughter, processing and export licenses for Toronto’s Ryding-Regency Meat Packers and related companies. The cancellation, announced Monday, indefinitely prolongs what was already described as “critical processing capacity shortage” for the province’s cattle producers, leaving […] Read more

Beef sirloin tips are among the many Ryding-Regency-produced beef products now recalled. (Panainte Ancuta-Georgiana/iStock/Getty Images)

New meat recall prolongs Ryding-Regency shutdown

Ryding-Regency Meat Packers remains shut down, making an already tight processing capacity situation event more challenging for Ontario farmers. The Toronto company, along with St. Ann’s Food, announced a recall Tuesday of a long list of its products because of concerns with E. coli O157:H7. More products were added to the recall on Thursday. The […] Read more


(PrevtecMicrobia.com)

Elanco buys swine PWD vaccine maker

Veterinary drugmaker Elanco Animal Health is expanding its space in the swine sector with a deal to buy the Quebec startup behind Coliprotec vaccines. Indianapolis-based Elanco announced Thursday it has paid $78.5 million to buy Prevtec Microbia, which is headquartered in Montreal with facilities in St-Hyacinthe. The Coliprotec line is meant to help protect pigs […] Read more

(BHofack2/iStock/Getty Images)

Romaine-related E. coli outbreak appears over

Reuters — The multistate outbreak of E. coli infections linked to romaine lettuce from the Central Coastal growing regions in northern and central California appears to be over, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday. Sixty-two people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli were reported from 16 states […] Read more


(BHofack2/iStock/Getty Images)

CFIA warns on California romaine lettuce

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is advising lettuce buyers such as retailers and restaurants not to sell, serve or import romaine lettuce from parts of California tied to the latest E. coli outbreak. The warning follows an announcement Monday from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that its preliminary traceback shows people sickened by […] Read more

Canada Beef has shifted marketing efforts to help Canadians enjoy more beef at home, reassure consumers on food safety efforts

Your burgers are still done at 71

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Maintaining consumer confidence is crucial to our industry. Consumer confidence in the safety of Canadian beef was briefly shaken by the 2012 XL Foods E. coli outbreak that infected at least 18 people and resulted in the recall of 1,800 tonnes of beef, a $4 million legal settlement and the sale of the packing plant […] Read more


(BHofack2/iStock/Getty Images)

Major grocers pull romaine lettuce nationwide

Despite seeing no evidence yet of nationwide contamination, several major Canadian grocers are pulling romaine lettuce from sale across Canada in the wake of E. coli-related illness outbreaks in three provinces. Loblaw Companies announced Wednesday it was recalling and removing from its store shelves across the country all romaine lettuce products “out of an abundance […] Read more



(Screengrab from RobinHood.ca)

Flour recalls widen in E. coli probe

Federal public health officials and flour miller Ardent Mills are warning Canadians to follow “safe flour handling practices” as an E. coli-related flour recall widens from one specific batch of Robin Hood flour to include several other Ardent-made products. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Sunday updated its food recall warnings to include several lots […] Read more

(Screengrab from RobinHood.ca)

Robin Hood flour pulled in E. coli probe

Federal health officials investigating over two dozen cases of E. coli poisoning across Canada are warning consumers to get rid of a certain batch of Robin Hood flour. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Tuesday issued a food recall warning for Robin Hood All-Purpose Flour, Original, distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. […] Read more