Toronto just permanently shut down three slaughterhouses because of E.coli

After the meat recall that rocked the food industry over the past few months, three massive Toronto meat packers have been shuttered.

Ryding-Regency Meat Packers, Canadian Select Meats Inc. and The Beef Boutique Inc. are without a license to operate as of yesterday due to the E.coli outbreak that led to the recall of nearly 1,000 different raw beef and veal products.

The companies were found to have given "false or misleading information" about lab results pertaining to the outbreak.

YES! Ryding-Regency Meat Packers in #Toronto just had its license CANCELLED over E. coli and food safety issues. Advocates with @animalsavemvmt documented horrific cruelty to animals at this facility. https://t.co/qzHRHjp4Q3 pic.twitter.com/o37DTxzw3Q

— Animal Justice (@AnimalJustice) December 3, 2019

The latter two slaughterhouses are under the umbrella of St. Ann's Food Inc., located in Etobicoke. Both Ryding-Regency and St. Ann's had their licenses suspended by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in late September for non-compliances related to control measures.

Products began to be recalled at the beginning of October, affecting stores like Whole Foods, Walmart and Foodland across Canada and the US, as well as hotels and restaurants

"Just the latest in a series of safety warnings from the #CFIA, which also found possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination among products from the Toronto-based slaughterhouse Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd."

Oh yes, Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd., where #Cows are skinned alive.

— ⓋWillowⓋ (@WillowWind64) October 18, 2019

Animal rights activists have been trying to get Ryding-Regency shut down for some time due to the facility's shockingly cruel practices, which include skinning cows alive, as has been caught on video. So for many, the news is cause for celebration.

But for others, it's quite the opposite. Beef Farmers of Ontario released a public statement calling the closures "a major blow" to the sector, which has already been dealing with a backlog of cattle following the license suspensions.

How the closures will further impact meat industry stakeholders and meat consumers remains to be seen.