An Edmonton man has filed a class action lawsuit against XL Foods after he became ill from eating a steak purchased in Edmonton that came from XL’s Lakeside meat processing plant.
Matthew Harrison said he wants XL to be held responsible for the meat contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7 that affected him and has been traced to illness in at least four other people in Western Canada.
A statement of claim was filed in Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Oct. 2. It refers to what Harrison calls XL’s “negligent quality control, monitoring, processing, storage, distribution and sale of certain beef products.”
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A statement of claim contains allegations unproven in court. As a defendant, XL Foods has one month to file a statement of defence or take other legal actions.
The suit alleges that Harrison suffered physical illness, mental distress, emotional trauma and fear for his health as a result of eating the meat. It further suggests XL is in breach of the fair trading act by representing its products as safe for consumption and says it misled consumers regarding recalled products.
The suit also claims negligence on the part of XL in areas of quality control and food safety.
It seeks punitive and other damages in amounts not specified in the statement of claim.
