Beef from Australia and New Zealand that went into those Canadian hamburgers that were laced with enough E. coli O157:H7 to sicken five people in two provinces were not the source of the bacteria. And spices that went into the burgers also have been ruled out. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) trace back investigation is now focused on domestic beef sources that also supplied the Ontario processor that made three brands of frozen beef patties recalled since Dec. 12. The recalled products from the Cardinal Meat Specialists’ plant at Brampton, Ontario include: Butcher’s Choice Garlic Peppercorn, Butcher’s Choice Hickory Barbecue, and Cardinal Select Prime Rib Beef burgers. Health officials have connected the genetic fingerprint of the bacteria found on samples one day’s production from the Cardinal plant with three E. coli illnesses in Ontario and two in Alberta. CFIA is satisfied with the food safety controls at the Brampton plant, which is why it is focused on the outside sources of beef and spices. The spices and imported beef were cleared. The outbreak has not involved any cases outside Canada. By the process of elimination, CFIA is left looking at “domestic beef ingredients.” It is plans to “rigorously pursue all leads,” but cautions the public because a source may never be definitely identified. If the source is found, CFIA says additional recalls would likely follow.