ecoli 0157 H7

[grassfarmer]

For those apt to dismiss the threat posed by this
bacteria.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/m
eat/safe/o157.html

An extract:
"What makes E. coli O157:H7 so fearsome is the
poison it churns out -- the third most deadly
bacterial toxin, after those causing tetanus and
botulism."

Not something to mess with.

[Happytrails]

Cook your meat Stu.

[perfecho]

Isn't it amazing that 40 years ago we could slaughter a beef with flies and whatever swarming around, hang it in a garage to age, cut it up on a dining room table, make sausage by tasting ground, uncooked grind and it seemed everyone was OK.
Now, with improved technology .....errrr... well... that’s why I don’t always take the "Believe science" theory to be gospel. Trust your instincts!

[riders2010]

Tells you how filthy the system is right now! Its emberrassing as a country, that our leaders haven't publicly slammed those responsible. Where the f are they?????

Yah let's end the dairy system and have milk and eggs come from who the f knows where. We cannot even control our own food supply.

Yah next thing you know countries that eat rat are going to come here and scrutinize how our beef is processed.

As an individual I always suspected this bull was going on, that's why we get from the local farmer and processor a great product, but now that it is out in the open what is going on in the mass production facilities, I feel really emberrassed that we Canadians have been somewhat oblivious and accept this standard for food.

The local cow calf producer needs everything tagged well so should this shithole have to label that the meat was processed there and every burger joint etc, have to state where the beef was processed, because no one that I talked to would eat anything out of that place. Even if there was no ecoli, the filth of the way things are done there are enough to grose someone out.

Producers be careful what you wish for, openning this place up without some very drastic changes and optics of changes could cost the industry more than not openning it up.

This is the opportunity here for all us Canadians to say we expect better of ourselves because I know most of us do!

[ASRG]

I truly doubt XL is filthier than most packers. One of the local small packers was always getting shut down for fungus and mold growing in his cooler units.
Any old cancer eyes or cows with blown out stifles or cows that should have just been shot on the farm.....guess who bought them? It wasn't XL or Cargill. And then he'd have a big sale...on locally grown hamburger and minute steak! The plant finally burnt down.
XL must have been clean enough for those 46 CFIA inspectors for the last three years they operated the plant? How come now it's a filthy hole when before it was good to go?
I'd say the meat coming out of XL, for the next few months, at least until the inspectors go back to sleep, will be about the safest product in the world!

[riders2010]

Not sure why so many are referring to cfia about this. They are making reports on what the co is giving them. Nothing more than a paid cyass system. USDA had to report this. IF they wouldn't have would we have known anything about this? As far as the rest maybe listen to what people that have worked there are saying.

As far as the small plant that was doing that bull they should have been shut down so!!

[riders2010]

I'm sure the plant will be clean for the usda inspection, and you can enjoy it all you like.

But correct me if I am wrong the plant was doing self tests and reported to the cfia, not being sarcastic but is that true or not?
So how the hell did that much meat get out contaminated and continue on to be let out after? Somebody somewhere is either incompetant, deceitful, or the test method is simply poor.

[ASRG]

riders: Well that small plant served a need? It kept the coyotes from getting too fat!
And it was inspected, although that was provincial meat inspection.
I knew a guy who worked there and he told me once SAIT (southern institute of technology) sent back about ten boxes of meat because it was kind of furry....they trimmed it up and ground it up for sausage! I think the provincial inspector was only there on kill days. A couple of times I took meat in to get ground up....supposedly a no-no for farm killed beef.
This plant actually had a store attached to it and did a pretty good business. Grassfarmer probably knows all about this place in Innisfail.

[riders2010]

ha ha lol "furry meat" that is funny sounding but not really!

So the question is why is this happenning? What is the solution?

[grassfarmer]

Getting back to Happytrails "cook you beef" comment
I'm wondering how he suggests we handle this as an
industry?
It takes 160f to kill this pathogen and as you'll see
from this table
http://southernfood.about.com/library/info/blroast.h
tm
that would seem to exclude all categories of cooking
beef other than "well done". Given the recall from XL
covered steaks as well as the more typical ground
products. I wonder how you envisage telling the
public that none of their beef supply is safe unless
cooked to "well done" - do you go with a cigarette
carton style warning on every package of beef or
maybe get customers to sign a waiver at all eating
establishments before you are allowed to order less
well fired steaks?

Yes, ASRG I had one batch of hogs done custom
through the plant you mention. Poorly run business
that couldn't meet timelines, suspected they were
skimming product off our orders to stock their own
retail shelves. I asked for, and was promised, the
heads back as I have some customers that like to
make bacon from the jowls - we got the heads back
but not before they had boned then out!
Still, they were leagues ahead of the Ponoka plant
under it's former owner. Blatant theft and substitution
of customers meat was the norm. Plant kept getting
closed down because the renderer wouldn't pick up
offal because last months bill hadn't been paid.

I must say my experience with these 2 Canadian run
small packing plants is in total contrast to the 3
European origin operators I've dealt with.

[ASRG]

I suspect the European processors are trained in a bit of "ethics" in regard to food processing?
I know Yvo at Penhold is real strict about what he sends out the door.

[tman]

"Isn't it amazing that 40 years ago...". 40 years ago? What you described was how I handled my first buck that I shot last year. Well, me and probably every hunter out there, past and present included. As well as cooking the meat including the ground meat on the lowest possible stove setting and eating all the meat including the ground when its still red and bloody. I also do this with the grass fed beef I buy and get from my folks, and have for years now.

My mom doesn't know about this or she'll lose sleep from the stress. I also don't tell her that I've eaten dozens of eggs (from pastured birds) raw.

It's amazing what happens when things are done properly.

Oh...forgot about the raw milk too.

[riders2010]

In Europe is it the packing plant demanding good quality because of their personal ethics or is it necessary for them to because the people they sell to demand the quality?

[grassfarmer]

I couldn't answer that with any certainty riders but I
suspect regulation would be tighter there in general
than here.
I just find the European immigrants that set up plants
here are prepared to invest more money upfront in a
higher quality plant and procedures, maybe looking
at it longer term?

[ASRG]

grassfarmer: I think also they are actually trained fairly extensively? I know one old German guy who said you actually apprentice there under a master butcher?
Here if you basically know what a cow or hog is and you sort of keep from cutting yourself up, you're good to go!