On May 21, 2014, Health Canada published an amendment to the Food and Drug Regulations in Canada Gazette Part II that requires any mechanically tenderized beef (MTB) sold in Canada to be labelled as such, including with safe cooking instructions. These regulations will come into force as of August 21, 2014.
In 2012, 18 cases of foodborne illness caused by Escherichia coli O157 (E. coli O157) were reported as part of a Canadian outbreak associated with contaminated beef. During the food safety investigation following the outbreak, five cases were considered to be likely associated with the consumption of beef that had been mechanically tenderized at the retail level.