Trade seems bigger concern than human health as U.S. halts recalled Alberta beef

In yet another example of the U.S. setting higher food safety standards than Canadians, the huge XL Foods slaughterhouse in Edmonton has been banned from shipping products across the border.

The move coincides with a Canadian Food Inspection Agency report that found systemic failures throughout the XL plant, something CFIA inspectors apparently didn’t notice.

Meanwhile, Alberta Health Services continues to investigate whether eight current E. coli O157 cases in the province — four in Edmonton, three in Calgary, and one in central Alberta — are linked to the meat products, said Dr. Gloria Keays, medical officer of health for the Edmonton Zone. The province will share lab results with the CFIA, Keays said.

Verlyn Olson, Alberta’s agriculture minister, told the Edmonton Journal he is “concerned” about reports that the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service halted all products imported from XL Foods, but is also convinced the situation will soon be resolved.

“Work is being done to rectify the situation, and we hope and expect the border will open up quickly,” Olson said. “When these things happen, we deal with them.”