Testing for E. coli isn't mandatory in BC meat plants!

[coffeeFreak]

It seems, not only was the company quiet about this but also the govt?

B.C. meat plant covers up positive E. coli test
CBC – Wed, 19 Jan 10:20 PM EST
One of British Columbia's largest meat processing plants covered up lab results that showed a sample of its product was contaminated with the deadly E. coli O157 strain, CBC News has learned.

The coverup came to light when Daniel Land, who oversaw the plant's quality assurance, contacted CBC News, saying officials at Pitt Meadows Meats Ltd. told him to keep quiet about the positive test result obtained on Sept. 9...read more,

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/b-c-meat-plant-covers-positive-e-coli-20110119-164707-166.html?mwp_success=NONJS_POST_SUCCESS#mwpphu-post-form

[Rwede]

Any wonder why I harvest my own organic, free range meat (venison, moose, elk, bear, cougar, game birds) and fish, get the health benefits/exercise of being in the outdoors while doing so, and avoid this contaminated crap altogether?

[coffeeFreak]

E. coli tests not required for B.C. meat plant -- CBC

...Regulations require federally licensed plants to report positive findings of E. coli O157 strain to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

But testing for E. coli 0157 isn't mandatory in a provincially regulated plant...

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/e-coli-tests-not-required-b-c-meat-20110120-181934-078.html

I cannot believe the provinces stance?! This is crazy!!

[twobits]

E. coli tests not required for B.C. meat plant -- CBC

...Regulations require federally licensed plants to report positive findings of E. coli O157 strain to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

But testing for E. coli 0157 isn't mandatory in a provincially regulated plant...

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/e-coli-tests-not-required-b-c-meat-20110120-181934-078.html

I cannot believe the provinces stance?! This is crazy!!

The reality is that testing of meat at the plant for e-coli does virtually nothing for your safety. The meat can become contaminated in all sorts of ways in the supply chain after the plant. Trucks, handling equip, wholesalers, retailers to name a few. None of these stops along the way require testing. Maybe all this regulation and lab testing is why a steak costs so dam much. As the packing plants say, handle and cook ALL MEATS as if they were contaminated.

[ClarenceandSylvia]

It's called double standards.

[Nom_de_Plume]

No... it's called "we've come a long way baby"
Until 2007 the only meat that was inspected/tested in our province at all came from Federal plants. Of which there were only a couple.
There were over 150 unlicensed/uninspected plants in the province providing meat to consumers.
Slowly these plants have either converted to an inspected format or have been shut down.
The ones on this list http://www.bccdc.ca/NR/rdonlyres/161B504B-8E5D-43BA-B111-684DA64996C6/0/MeatPlantEstablishmentWEBVERSION.pdf
are all that are left of the 150.

[zudnic]

I'm glad I work in Vancouver and when here live minutes to the border. I buy all my meats in the states because so far its been much higher quality over what I've found in Canada, little less expensive, as is dairy products. Canada Customs has been very reasonable allowing nearly $200 in groceries per week with no duties charged.