OTTAWA – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said “the combination of several deficiencies” could have led to E. coli bacteria being found at a food processing plant which has recalled hundreds of beef products.

The CFIA said it has completed an in-depth review of food safety controls at Edmonton-based XL Foods Inc., where the discovery of the bacteria led to a recall of more than 250 beef products.

The agency said it continues to identify additional products affected by the recall and is conducting checks to make sure they are removed from store shelves.

The review did not identify one single factor that would have led to E.coli contamination, but said a combination of several deficiencies, which individually wouldn’t have signalled immediate concern, could have played a role.

The agency said while E. coli is often present in slaughter facilities, and plants are expected to have measures to detect higher-than-normal rates, that analysis wasn’t always consistent at the plant.

The CFIA also said the company wasn’t able to show that it regularly reviewed or made necessary updates to its control plan for the facility.