Alberta Health Services has linked four E. coli cases in the province to steaks bought at a northeast Edmonton Costco store.
Four Albertans have become sick in connection to eating Kirkland-brand Strip Loin Grilling Steaks sold at the 13650 50 Street Costco in Edmonton.
The steaks were sold from September 4 to September 7.
The CFIA confirmed the Costco steaks were a product of XL Foods Inc. in Edmonton, which has been at the centre of a recent nation-wide ground beef recall over E. coli contamination concerns.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to eat the Costco beef steaks and it is working to better identify contaminated meat.
“It turns out some time late in August, there was an unusually high number of animals or an unusually high number of E. coli in animals, that went into the plant that were decontaminated in usual process, but it didn’t knock it down enough,” said Dr. Richard Arsenault, director of meat programs with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
“It's not about more products coming out of the facility after the initial recall, it’s about discovering more product in the distribution chain that's already been sent to retail that was made on original day we were looking at.”
And an investigation into Costco's meat tenderizing process is underway.
"Possibly the E. coli could have been on the carcass which the steaks came from or it could have been through this process in the store so that's the part that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is still looking at," said Dr. Gerry Predy, Alberta Health Service's Senior Medical Officer of Health.
Consumers are advised contact the Costco store to determine if their beef products are affected.
XL Foods Inc. issued a statement on Wednesday, saying the company is working with the CFIA and AHS to "understand more about the recall of steaks that the CFIA has indicated caused illness."
"XL Foods is committed to producing high quality beef products and the safety of our consumers is our number one priority," read the statement.
"We will continue to act in their best interests throughout the completion of the recall, investigation into source of contamination and implementation of enhanced systems to ensure something like this never happens again. Food safety is simply too important to our customers, our employees and our business."
Food contaminated with E. coli 0156:H7 may not look or smell spoiled. Consuming contaminated food may cause severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Some people may have seizures or strokes.
The CFIA is working with the manufacturer to remove the affected products from the marketplace.
Click here for more information or call 1-800-442-2342.
The recall comes after a nation-wide recall of ground beef products from Edmonton-based XL Foods Inc.
With files from Carmen Leibel
