E. coli fears have prompted the federal government to look at putting warning labels on mechanically tenderized beef sold in Saskatchewan and elsewhere in Canada.
Speaking to reporters Friday in Regina, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said the labels would warn consumers to cook mechanically tenderized beef more thoroughly than solid cuts of meat.
“If you’re buying this tenderized product…it should be labeled to warn you to cook it beyond the temperature that’s required,” Ritz said.
He says Health Canada and officials south of the border are looking at bringing in the new warning labels.
The XL Foods plant in Brooks, Alta. was shut down last month after an E. coli outbreak led to the largest beef recall in Canadian history. The plant is scheduled to resume production Monday.
