Tainted Beef Came From Canada

[Willowcreek]

Canadian firm likely supplied tainted beef



WASHINGTON (AP) -- A now-defunct Canadian beef firm was the likely source of
bacteria-contaminated meat used to make frozen hamburgers that later sickened 40 people in eight states, the Agriculture Department said Friday.

A joint U.S.-Canadian investigation matched the DNA fingerprint of E. coli O157:H7
bacteria isolated from beef trim that had remained in storage with Rancher's Beef Ltd. to samples taken both from victims of the food poisoning outbreak and packages, both intact and opened, of New Jersey-based Topps Meat Co. frozen hamburgers. Rancher's Beef of Balzac, Alberta, had supplied Topps with beef trim used to make the patties, the USDA said.

A message left with Rancher's Beef, which has ceased operations, was not immediately returned.

http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/FRONT01/71026053

[Willowcreek]

You have to wonder what Ranchers Beef was doing-- and if all these Cargill, ConAgra, General Mills recalls are tied to it and/or Canada too....

This inspection of all meat and poultry-even if it has to be held at the border-- is a DRASTIC move for this USDA....

-----------------------------


Quote from USDA website:
www.fsis.usda.gov/News/NR_110307_01/index.asp


Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Amanda Eamich


Statement of Dr. Richard Raymond Regarding Increased Testing and Re-inspection of Imported Meat and Poultry Products from Canada


"The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has instituted additional import requirements for meat and poultry products from Canada. Effective next week, FSIS will increase testing for Salmonella, Listeria Monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 and will require that shipments be held until testing is complete and products are confirmed negative for these pathogens. In addition, Canadian meat and poultry products will receive increased levels of re-inspection by FSIS to confirm they are eligible to enter commerce when presented at the U.S. border.

"FSIS will also immediately begin an audit of the Canadian food safety system that will focus on Ranchers Beef, Ltd. and will include other similar establishments that export beef to the U.S. Based on information provided by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), FSIS had previously identified this Canadian plant, which has ceased operations, as a likely source of the multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to the Topps Meat Company. As the result of that recall investigation, FSIS delisted Ranchers Beef, Ltd., Canadian establishment number 630, on October 20, 2007. No product from that firm has been eligible to enter into the U.S. since that date.


"The audit and stepped up actions at the border are being conducted because of concerns about testing practices at Ranchers Beef, Ltd. that were discovered as part of the ongoing investigation.


"FSIS will review the preliminary findings of this audit to determine whether there is need to continue these additional interim requirements. The FSIS team for this audit will include top officials from the Office of International Affairs and the Office of Program Evaluation, Enforcement and Review.


"These measures are being taken to further ensure the equivalency of the system already in place. We continue to work together with our food safety partners both domestically and internationally to ensure imported meat and poultry products are produced under systems at least equivalent to those in the United States.


"Yesterday FSIS Administrator Alfred Almanza and an additional senior FSIS food safety official met with their counterparts at the CFIA to inform them of increased testing and re-inspection requirements."

[rkaiser]

Not much fun playing all by yourself hey Willowcreek. Nobody want to play with you on this thread. Okay - I'll play.

You got us Willowcreek - Canada is a disease ridden third world country that is simply out to poison the American population. Take that to your next Rcalf meeting and see if they would rather have South American beef swelling up the colons of the masses rather than Canadian beef. Cause it's going to keep coming old boy. You are going to continue to be an beef importing nation and that's that.

As far as more testing for Canadian Beef - I say bring it on. One more opportunity to identify our product unique to the world.

Ecoli tested - BSE tested beef - Canadian Barley finished beef. Only 20% more than the stuff that you can get from Oldtimer and the Rcalf gang who support the ass backward USDA testing system for both Ecoli and BSE testing. I think that they will eat it up in New York Oldtimer - what do you think?

[Willowcreek]

I think your a little touchy there rkaiser-or overly guilt ridden or something...

I posted this as info- and to show what the USDA's dropping of standards and testing-for imports from Canada, Mexico, China and now proposed for Argentina and Brazil- along with dropping any government oversight on domestic meat/product has lead too...

Our Fuhrer--GW-- has left the Fox to guard the Henhouse and it isn't working with the Weasels that are in charge of the industry.....

[rkaiser]

A little touchy - What do you mean Oldtimer - the conventional cattle industry in my country is going to hell in a hand basket and some Rcalf boy wants to rub salt in the wound with this screw up at ranchers beef.

All about control Oldtimer all about control. They have the industry in this country right were they want it. As soon as the plants are rolling in South America the pirates will pull out of this country and will do everything they can in the mean time to make it difficult for the next generation to build any beef export markets ever again.

[Smithy]

I wonder what kind of reaction the CFIA would have got south of the border if they had required a lot of extra testing, on everything...not just spinach, in order for US produce to be imported into Canada.

[spudchucker]

Yes there was a screw up. I bet that made your day. Congratulations