Ottawa

What went wrong at XL Foods?

Workers at the XL Foods plant were apparently aware of problems.

Tom Hesse with the United Food and Commercial Workers said the union has heard from employees about problems that could lead to tainted meat. “Some [workers] are saying to us, ‘No, I wouldn’t eat the product that’s produced in my own workplace’,” said Hesse. “They tell us that management has a general lack of concern for food safety practices.” The union held a special meeting with about a dozen XL Foods workers this week. There were reports that workers didn’t sterilize their knives between cuts and if they did, they couldn’t keep up with the workflow, said Hesse.

Questions are being asked about how long it took CFIA to shut down the plant. And a former government official says the CFIA should not be under the Minister of Agriculture’s purview.

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.