The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has closed three major slaughterhouses following an E. coli outbreak. Activists have also accused the Toronto-based meatpackers of cruelty to animals.
Ryding-Regency Meat Packers, Canadian Select Meats Inc., and The Beef Boutique Inc. lost their licenses after giving “false or misleading information” about the E. coli lab results.
Following the outbreak, major supermarkets were forced to pull products from their shelves. Walmart, Foodland, and Whole Foods stopped selling nearly 1,000 different beef and veal items.
Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) represents the province’s 19,000 beef farmers. It said in a statement: “This is a major blow for the beef sector in Ontario.”