Exemption allows for sale of troubled XL Foods meat plant

Thesale of theAlberta meat plant at the centre of Canada's largest beef recallis now one stepcloser to becoming reality.

JBS says it hasn't yet bought the XL Foods meat plant in Brooks, Alta., but it is moving through the steps necessary to make that happen.

Just days before Christmas, the province granted the company an exemption from foreign land ownership rules.

In the fallin the midst of an E. coliscare that stretched across the country the meat packing plantwas forced to close after several deficiencies were identified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The plant was allowed toresume operations in Octoberunder enhanced oversight.

Just before it reopened, JBS stepped in to manage the plant in a deal that gave theman exclusive option to buythe Canadian and U.S. operations of XL Foods.

The Brazilian-based company is one of the world's biggest meat processing operations, and its arrival on the scene waswelcomed among many in Alberta's cattle industrywho feared for the troubled plant's future.

A JBS spokesperson says there is no timeline for a potential sale.