The Canadian company at the center of a massive beef recall is laying off 2000 people.

The temporary layoffs are all at XL Foods Inc.'s Brooks, AB plant.

It's been idle since September 27 while the Canadian Food Inspection Agency & the company deal with E. coli contamination that's sickened 15 people across the country.

XL Foods says they have no choice but to layoff because the CFIA can't give them a timeline on when the company can get its licence back.