E.Coli Linked to Ground Beef in Quebec- MAPAQ

July 25, 2004

Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) public health official have confirmed that one woman is dead and five people are in hospital after consuming and handling ground beef, purchased at retail, contaminated with E. Coli O157:H7. MAPAQ issued a press release on July 19 to advise that, at that time, three cases of illness had been associated with ground beef. A second press release advised consumers not to consume ground beef from three stores in Quebec and that a recall was under way. The recall was part of a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recall of beef from Alberta that was sent to Quebec and Labrador. The CFIA said that the first recall, in which five people are ill and one died, is not linked to their investigation. The media has reported that provincial government officials are still trying to determine if there is a link between the two recalls.