Health and food safety officials in Canada are warning the public and foodservice operators about yet another list of beef products being recalled as part of an E. coli investigation.
This time the recall notice from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regards two brands of beef and veal, The Sweet Potato and Artisan Farms. It is the 20th recall since Oct. 3 when St. Ann’s Foods Inc./Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. recalled beef and veal because of a CFIA investigation. The government posted an alert about the situation on its Healthy Canadians website.
As with the previous recalls, the Oct. 28 recall reports that it was “triggered by the CFIA’s inspection activities.” The government has not reported what the specific inspection trigger was.
Products implicated in the new recall are:
| Brand | Common Name | Size | UPC | Date Codes | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Sweet Potato | AAA Beef Eye of Round Fast Fry Steak | Variable (clerk-served) | Starts with 0201312 | All units sold from June 19, 2019 up to and including July 01, 2019 | Sold at The Sweet Potato, 108 Vine Ave, Unit B, Toronto, ON |
| The Sweet Potato | AAA Beef Ground Lean | Variable (clerk-served) | Starts with 0201260 | All units sold from June 19, 2019 up to and including July 01, 2019 | Sold at The Sweet Potato, 108 Vine Ave, Unit B, Toronto, ON |
| The Sweet Potato | AA Beef Cutlets | Variable (clerk-served) | Starts with 0201257 | All units sold from June 19, 2019 up to and including July 01, 2019 | Sold at The Sweet Potato, 108 Vine Ave, Unit B, Toronto, ON |
| The Sweet Potato | AAA Beef Eye of Round Steak | Variable (clerk-served) | Starts with 0202013 | All units sold from June 19, 2019 up to and including July 01, 2019 | Sold at The Sweet Potato, 108 Vine Ave, Unit B, Toronto, ON |
| Artisan Farms (Bruce Valley) | Grass Fed Striploin Steaks | Variable | None | Packaged on June 4, 2019 AND Packaged on June 17, 2019 |
Sold at truLocal, 501 Franklin Blvd, Cambridge, ON |
Since the first recall a number of different entities, including some identified by Canadian officials simply as “industry,” have posted recalls in relation to the investigation. No illnesses have been confirmed as of the posting of the most recent recall, but the investigation is ongoing.
In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for raw non-intact beef products derived from imported beef from Ontario, Canada, that have been recalled by Ryding-Regency. That alert remains in effect.
In Canada, officials continue to urge the public and foodservice operators including schools, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutional kitchens to not use the recalled beef and veal products.
For a list of all of the recalled beef and veal, click here.
About E. coli infections
Anyone who has eaten any of the implicated products and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses.
The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
About 5 percent to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor.
Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients.
People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems.
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