Northern Natural Processing, a meat processing plant in Neudorf, Sask., is being sued because it allegedly sold tainted beef in 2014.
Premium Brands, a food manufacturing and distribution company based in Richmond, B.C., filed the lawsuit with the Court of Queen’s Bench in Regina last week, according to the Regina Leader-Post.
Premium Brands is suing for more than $725,000 over financial damages related to what it says is loss of sales, customer refunds and disposal costs.
In late June of 2014, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled Northern Natural beef products because they contained “unsuitable primary ingredients.”
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The CFIA had detected bovine lymphosarcoma, a common cancer of cattle, in a small amount of Northern Natural Beef.
Harvest Foods, a maker of sausages, burgers, ham and processed meats in Yorkton, Sask., had purchased beef from Northern Natural. It issued a recall of its bologna, wieners, garlic sausage and other products because of the problems at Northern Natural.
Premium Brands owns Harvest Foods and numerous other companies, including Freybe deli products and Grimm’s Fine Foods.
In July of 2014 the CFIA suspended Northern Natural’s operating licence because the company hadn’t corrected its practices, as required by the agency.
“The (agency) has determined adequate controls for food safety were not being reliably implemented in the facility on a consistent basis,” the CFIA said it a statement.
In an email to The Western Producer in 2014, the CFIA said it suspended Northern Natural’s licence over other issues, going back to May of 2014.
“It failed to implement corrective measures related to two Corrective Action Requests issued in late May and early June,” The Western Producer reported July 24, 2014. “Specifically, the plant was not meeting the requirements of its HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point) plan and had problems with pest control.”
The CFIA reinstated Northern Natural’s licence Aug. 7, 2014.
Northern Natural is located in the former Natural Valley plant at Neudorf.
