The beef processing plant in Alberta, Canada that was the source of an E. coli outbreak that sickened 18 people in Canada last fall has returned to full capacity under new management. In September of 2012, XL Foods of Brooks, Alberta initiated a recall of beef products after a sample tested at the U.S. Canadian border tested positive for E. coli. The recall would eventually expand to include 8 million pounds of beef, the largest beef recall in Canada’s history. The plant shut down late that month after the contaminated E. coli was linked to human illnesses. Then in October of 2013, the plant began operating under the management of JBS Swift USA, a subsidiary of Brazil-based JBS SA, the world’s largest beef producer. In January of 2013, JBS purchased the Alberta plant outright, establishing a Canada subsidiary and becoming the largest beef producer in North America. Now JBS’s new Canada subsidiary has returned to full operating capacity, slaughtering an estimated 4,000 head per day, according to Portage Online. “We didn’t have access to the US market so we started off slow, and to be honest with you, beef demand for most of the spring was slower than what we would like to see, so we’ve just in the last month and half gotten back up to full steam,” said Willie Van Solkema, president of JBS Canada. Solkema says the company has thoroughly reviewed its food safety plan and is undergoing frequent audits to ensure it is meeting sanitation standards, reported Portage Online.