Ground beef products that could be contaminated with E. coli bacteria were sold by 17 grocery stores in Canada, including two in Winnipeg. (CBC)

Ground beef products that could be contaminated with E. coli bacteria were being sold by two grocery stores in Winnipeg, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said Thursday.

The agency issued an alert Thursday warning the public not to eat the meat, which includes regular, lean and extra lean ground beef, packaged between March 2 and 9. The dates are marked on the packages.

The stores involved, Dakota Family Foods at 1099 St. Mary's Rd. and Family Foods at 1881 Portage Ave., have voluntarily removed the meat from their shelves.

The products were also being sold at the Direct Charge Co-op store in Yellowknife, N.W.T., Shop-Rite Fine Foods in Ignace, Ont., and 13 Thrifty Food stores throughout British Columbia, according to the CFIA, which said all retailers have stopped selling the meat.

The food inspection agency has not received any reports of anyone getting sick after eating the beef, noting the possibility of contamination was discovered following routine testing of the products.

Food contaminated with the strain of E. coli (O157:H7) involved may not look or smell spoiled, but consumption of it could cause serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses, according to the CFIA alert.

Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Some people may also experience seizures or strokes.

More details on the affected products is available on the CFIA website.