The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to eat a range of President's Choice brand beef products that may have been contaminated by E. coli.
A selection of PC brand steaks, roasts and ground beef bearing the best-before dates April 29 to June 16 are affected by the alert.
"We're advising people to check the expiration dates and to dispose of the products," said Margaret Gourlay, spokeswoman for the CFIA.
Canadian authorities were tipped off about the potentially contaminated meat by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The department had been investigating meat from JBS Swift Beef Co. in Colorado because of a potential E. coli contamination that so far appears to have affected at least 18 people in the United States.
The beef products were sold fresh in grocery stores in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic region. They are no longer on store shelves, Ms. Gourlay said, but consumers are advised to check their freezers and to throw away any affected beef products.
There have been no reported illnesses in Canada associated with the consumption of these products. The CFIA warns that food contaminated with E. coli may not look or smell spoiled, but consuming food infected with the bacteria may lead to life-threatening illness.
The CFIA is warning consumers about these products:
PC cab sirloin tip steak
PC cab sirloin tip oven roast
PC cab strip loin premium oven roast
PC cab tenderloin grilling steak
PC cab tenderloin premium oven roast
PC cab flank marinating steak
PC tnt top sirloin steak
PC tnt top sirloin beefeater steak
PC tnt top sirloin cap steak
PC tnt top sirloin oven roast
PC tnt top sirloin roast
PC tnt top sirloin c/o beefeater
PC tnt top sirloin cap steak bnls
PC cab beef ground xlean
PC cab beef ground lean
The warning also includes beef knuckle roast, four- to five-pound size, sold fresh from April 30 to June 10 from Sue's Market in Richmond Hill, Ont.
For the full alert, go to the Government of Canada website