December 26, 2012

Frozen hamburgers recalled earlier this month due to E. coli contamination may have come from Canadian-sourced beef ingredients.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is continuing its investigation into recalled burgers produced at Cardinal Meat Specialists in Brampton, Ont., and had previously determined three possible sources of E. coli contamination - spices, imported beef ingredients (from Australia and New Zealand) and domestic beef ingredients.

CFIA found no safety concerns in the spices, and the imported beef met all certification requirements. Also, the CFIA states there were no E. coli illnesses reported in Australia or New Zealand.

The Canadian-sourced beef came from a "variety" of suppliers, the CFIA said in a release, and more recalls are possible.

It is also possible that a precise source of E. coli will not be found, the CFIA said.

The recall is linked to a small cluster of illnesses in Alberta and Ontario between December 12 and 15.