5 new E. coli cases linked to beef recall confirmed

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed that five additional cases — three in Alberta and two in Quebec — have been linked to a specific strain of E. coli that has spurred a massive recall of several beef products across the country.

That means the number of cases linked to E. coli O157 is now up to 10: seven in Alberta, two in Quebec and one in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Officials stressed that the five recently announced cases are not tied to people who are newly sick, but "recovered or recovering."

Representatives from the CFIA and the Public Health Agency of Canada organized the Saturday teleconference to announce that five cases could be linked "with great confidence" to the strain that was found at the XL processing plant in Brooks, Alberta

Two targeted tests, taken together, were used to uncover the strain's genetic fingerprint.

XL Foods beef recall expanded yet again

Meantime, 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.

Tests are also being done to find the source of E. coli in several other cases in Alberta, 13 in Saskatchewan and one in British Columbia. The CFIA would not offer nor confirm a ballpark figure of how many cases are under investigation overall — a number they say is in flux and changes every day.

Harpreet Kochhar with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency told reporters yesterday that XL Foods had a plan in place to battle E. coli.

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, meanwhile, was under fire at 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.