Calgary company at centre of daycare E. coli outbreak pleads guilty to bylaw offences

Fueling Minds Inc., a Calgary-based catering company, recently pleaded guilty to bylaw offences related to an E. coli outbreak that affected several daycares in the city. The outbreak in September 2023 resulted in hundreds of children falling ill, with dozens requiring hospitalization. The City of Calgary traced the source of the outbreak to Fueling Minds, which provided meals and snacks to the affected daycares.

The corporation, along with its directors Faisal Alimohd and Anil Karim, were charged with operating without a proper business licence during the time of the outbreak. Fueling Minds admitted to not having a food services business licence and a joint sentencing recommendation of a $10,000 fine was made by City of Calgary prosecutor Ed Ring and the company’s lawyer, Steve Major. The judge, Justice of the Peace Mathieu St-Germain, will announce the final decision next month.

While the corporation pleaded guilty to the bylaw offences, the prosecutor indicated that charges against the directors will likely be dropped. The court heard that Fueling Minds had inquired about the necessary steps to operate their food service business with Alberta Health Services in June 2021, but did not receive a response. This failure to obtain a proper licence was not directly linked to causing the E. coli incident, as per the agreed statement of facts.

In his submissions to the court, Major mentioned that Fueling Minds had a kitchen licence but lacked a catering licence, which was an oversight on their part. Faisal Alimohd expressed remorse for not obtaining a catering licence and stated that the business has since ceased operations.

The E. coli outbreak, which led to 39 children and one adult being hospitalized, was attributed to a beef meatloaf served by Fueling Minds on August 29, 2023. The outbreak was the largest of its kind in Alberta’s history and prompted a third-party review. The Food Safety and Licensed Facility-Based Child Care Review Panel released recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future, including more frequent inspections at child-care facilities and mandatory training programs for food workers.

In the aftermath of the outbreak, numerous lawsuits were filed against Fueling Minds, including a proposed class-action suit that is currently ongoing. The company’s involvement in the E. coli outbreak has raised concerns about food safety and regulatory compliance in the catering industry.