Guilty pleas in case of E. coli outbreak at Calgary daycares

By Canadian Press on April 24, 2025.

CALGARY — A commercial kitchen company in Calgary has pleaded guilty to four charges after a massive E. coli outbreak at daycares led to hundreds of children falling ill.

Fueling Minds Inc. was charged in relation to the outbreak that started in September 2023.

There were at least 448 infections, and 39 children and one adult were hospitalized due to severe illness.

It became the largest known outbreak in children under five.

The pleas came at what had been scheduled as the first day of trial, and lawyers were to present a joint recommendation on sentencing.

Court heard prosecutors won’t proceed with charges against the company’s two directors, Faisal Alimohd and Anil Karim.

Fueling Minds provided meals to six of its own daycares that were affected by the outbreak and also to five separate daycares.

Health officials have said that meat loaf and vegan loaf meals served for lunch most likely contained the E. coli bacteria that led to the initial infections.

One of the charges the company pleaded guilty to is serving food without a food services business licence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

14
-13