XL Foods beef recall expanded yet again

OTTAWA - The recall list of beef products from the XL Foods plants in Brooks, Alta., has been expanded yet again.

Dozens of meat cuts and stores have been added to the list which now contains hundreds of products and stores across Canada and the United States.

The Alberta government has confirmed that five people fell ill last month from E. coli linked to steaks processed at the XL plant.

And officials are investigating whether a person who got sick from E. coli in Newfoundland is the sixth case linked to XL.

Tests are also being done to find the source of E. coli in four other cases in Alberta, 13 in Saskatchewan and one in British Columbia.

Harpreet Kochhar with the Public Health Agency of Canada told reporters yesterday that XL Foods had a plan in place to battle E. coli, but didn't follow or update that plan.

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, meanwhile, was under fire the House of Commons again yesterday, with the NDP demanding he apologize to Canadians and resign.

Ritz repeated that food safety remains a priority for the Harper government.

The minister has said the XL plant will not be allowed to reopen until investigators are satisfied it is safe.