EDMONTON (Canadian Press) — The owner of the Alberta beef plant being sold to a subsidiary of a Brazilian company received more than $15 million from the federal and Alberta governments since 2009.
Agriculture Canada says of the money approved for XL Foods Inc., $2.475 million was in federal no-interest loans.
The rest of the cash was in federal and provincial grants to help bolster production at the slaughter plant and to improve food safety procedures.
JBS South America says its Canadian division, JBS Food Canada, expects to complete the purchase of XL Foods properties on Monday.
The plant in Brooks was at the centre of the largest meat recall in Canadian history because of an E. coli outbreak that made 18 people sick.
Under the terms of the sale, JBS says it will not assume any of XL Foods' debts or liabilities.