The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued more food recalls at several Edmonton businesses due to possible E. coli contamination.
The recall notices were issued Thursday for Acme Meat Market and Real Deal Meats Limited.
The CFIA said products from The Meat Shop at Pine Haven, a farm near Wetaskiwin that Alberta Health Services believes is linked to the outbreak, were sold at Acme Meat Market.
The agency warns the recalled pork products, which date back to Feb. 19, should not be sold or used.
Acme Meat Owner Corey Meyer said pork from The Meat Shop used to make up 95 per cent of the business’ pork inventory. Now, there isn’t any meat from the farm there at all.
“We were proactive.
“Before we got the list of items, we actually pulled their products just because we wanted to be proactive with it and just take it off our shelves, just to be on the safe side,” he said.
Meyer acknowledges the financial loss from the recalled products will “be substantial,” though he said it is too early to say what that amount will be.
The store will be giving full refunds to customers for fresh or frozen products that were purchased between Feb. 19 and April 26.
“We found a new supplier because I can’t go without pork. It’s such a big seller and it’s in a lot of products,” Meyer said.
He recommends customers ensure their pork is cooked properly and measures 71 C before it is eaten.
“We do recommend that cooking pork products to 71 C and part of that recommendation comes from the ability to often kill off the E. coli bug,” said Dr. Jasmine Hasselback, Alberta Health Services’ medical officer of health for the Edmonton Zone.
“The reality is, as always, every effort and every recommendation reduces that risk … but we can never say that it reduces it to zero.”
A similar recall warning is also in place for products sold at Real Deal Meats Limited. The products under scrutiny for possible E. coli contamination date back to Feb. 19.
Owner Darcy Boisvert said the retailer learned last Sunday that The Meat Shop was under investigation; pork from the farm makes up 25 per cent of the inventory at the store.
“We removed the product,” he said.
“That’s the nice thing about being a small retailer. We know what pork goes into what, what gets used for what, automatically we pulled anything that had Pine Haven pork in it.”
Real Deal Meats is also offering full refunds or replacements for any Pine Haven products.
Recall notices are also in place for pork products sold at K & K Foodliner, Irvings Farm Fresh and H & A Food Sales and Services in Alhambra, Alta.
On Thursday, Edmonton law firm James H. Brown & Associates announced it had filed a $15 million dollar lawsuit against The Meat Shop at Pine Haven.
According to the statement of claim, the lawsuit is on behalf of all people who suffered damages as a result of buying or consuming pork products that may have been contaminated with E. coli.
“It’s our best estimate of what the losses might be for the class at this point in time,” Rick Mallett, head of the class-action team at James H. Brown and Associates, said when asked about how his team arrived at the $15-million figure.
On Wednesday, Alberta Health Services (AHS) said it had a “fair degree of confidence” that a recent outbreak of E. coli in the Edmonton area is linked to certain raw and ready-to-eat pork products sold and distributed by the Meat Shop at Pine Haven, south of Wetaskiwin.
The Meat Shop issued a statement, saying it is also working to notify its customers of the food recall and that it “immediately initiated a voluntary recall” upon being notified of the positive test results for E. Coli.
“The Meat Shop continues its commitment to the production safe and wholesome food products and will provide further information as it develops over the coming days,” the statement reads in part.
As of Thursday, the number of lab-confirmed cases related to the outbreak is at 36, including 11 patients who have needed hospital care and one death that AHS said was “likely” due to E. coli infection.
READ MORE: 1 death ‘likely’ linked to E. coli outbreak in Edmonton
AHS confirmed that 21 E. coli cases were linked to Mama Nita’s Binalot restaurant in Edmonton.
READ MORE: Health officials investigate Edmonton restaurant after E. coli outbreak
The main symptom of E. coli is diarrhea, which may be bloody. Kidney failure can develop in more severe cases. Anyone with symptoms of E. coli is encouraged to call Health Link at 811.
-with files from Caley Ramsay, Emily Mertz, Phil Heidenreich and Kim Smith