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Meat plant covered up positive E. coli test

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E-coli bacteria.

A Pitt Meadows halal meat packing plant is being investigated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for covering up a positive test for E. coli bacteria in September.

On Oct. 29, 2010, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency received information from a past employee at Pitt Meadows Meats Ltd. on Ford Road that a batch of beef had tested positive for the deadly bacteria in early September, and was not reported.

Under Canadian law, a positive test must be reported to CFIA immediately.

Joesph Beres, CFIA’s inspection manager for the Lower Mainland area, confirmed there was a positive test for E. coli at Pitt Meadows Meats in September that had not been reported.

He called the breach “very serious,” and said the incident is still under investigation.

Penalties for violations to the Canadian Meat Processing Act can range from fines to jail time for those involved.

After verifying the employee’s claims, the CFIA conducted a voluntary recall of products processed at the plant on Nov. 7.

Beres said the plant destroyed some of the meat prior to the recall, while the majority was sold to pet food manufacturers.

Beres said only a “few kilograms” of the tainted meat were sold in stores for human consumption.

“Pets are not as sensitive to the bacteria as humans are,” said Beres.

However, those meat products were also recalled.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the result of the outbreak, according to the CFIA.

More than 600 subsequent tests were conducted by CFIA of meat products produced by Pitt Meadows Meats, all of which turned up negative. However, none of the tainted meat was available for testing as it had already been distributed.

Pitt Meadows Meats reopened Dec. 6.

The plant is a provincially-licensed abattoir, processing beef, veal, buffalo/bison, deer, goat, lamb and sheep, according to the company’s listing on the B.C. Speciality Food Directory. All products at the plant are slaughtered according to Islamic ritual slaughter laws, called halal, and the facility is the only federally-inspected halal processing plant in the province.

Most of the plant’s products are sold wholesale to retail meat stores across the province.

The plant’s business manager, Brian Bilkes, said the positive test results were not reported because the plant manager suspected the employee who conducted the positive test – the one who eventually informed CFIA – had possibly sabotaged the test and used unhygienic practices that tainted the results.

“There were definitely issues between him and management,” said Bilkes.

However, that does not excuse the decision to not report the test result to CFIA, he added.

“We’ve acknowledged our mistake,” Bilkes said.

Staff members at the plant have since been disciplined, he said.

The plant manager remains employed by Pitt Meadows Meats.

The food the plant produces is safe, and has always been safe, Bilkes contends.

“They tested all of our products and everything came back safe,” said Bilkes. “We continue to believe the food from the plant is safe, and CFIA’s tests prove that.”

Beres said even if the initial test was a false positive, it should have been reported to CFIA.

“We never entertain the possibility of a false positive,” he said. “We don’t run a second sample, we consider the lot contaminated.

“Food safety is our No. 1 priority.”

While a federal inspector works on site at the plant, Beres said it is the plant’s responsibility to test each lot of food that leaves the plant.

Beres would not say if the federal inspector working at the plant was aware of the positive test result. However, the inspector will be subject to CFIA’s ongoing investigation of the plant.

“It will be an in-depth investigation,” said Beres. “We will be looking at everything, including our own procedures and policies.

“Everything is under the microscope.”

Consumption of food contaminated with E. coli bacteria may cause serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea, as well as seizures or strokes.

The bacteria can cause permanent kidney damage, and in severe cases, even death.

In 2000, seven people died and close to 1,300 fell ill in Walkerton, Ont. after the town’s drinking water supply became contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

Pitt Meadows Meats Recall summary