The Canadian Food and Inspection Agency seized company records in 2019, and an audit determined that 36 cows treated with hormones and antibiotics that were purchased from a dealer were mixed in with the company's organic herd. Half were then slaughtered and the beef sold as certified organic.
The government prosecutor concluded that the error was due to poor recordkeeping, and after six months of negotiations, the company agreed to plead guilty and pay the fine, equal to more than twice the value of the beef sold as organic.
