The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is going to be
audited this month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the
first time in three years.
   
The CFIA says the audit will include a visit to the XL Foods
plant in Alberta that's involved in the massive beef recall due to
E. coli contamination.
   
The auditors will look at Canada's meat and poultry food safety
inspection system and the eligibility of products from Canadian meat
plants to be exported into the U.S.
   
Canada suspended XL's permit to export beef into the U.S. last
month at the request of the USDA because of E. coli concerns.
   
The CFIA, however, says the U.S. audit has been in the works
for some time and was not sparked by the XL Foods recall.
   
(The Canadian Press)