US to test six additional E.coli strains in meat

The US Government will expand testing in raw meat by six additional strains of E. coli, to prevent more people from contracting the bacteria that can cause severe illness or death.

From 4 June 2012, the meat industry will have to test their beef trimmings used to make ground beef for six strains, collectively known as the ‘Big Six’: O26, O111, O103, O121, O45 and O145.

Selling raw beef trimmings and non-intact beef products contaminated with any of these strains will be considered as illegal. At a later point, tests will be extended to ground beef and other cuts.

To date, the meat industry had to test for only one strain of the pathogen, known as E. coli O157:H7, which is the most common cause for foodborne illness in the US.

While the number of foodborne illnesses from E. coli O157:H7 have decreased over the years, there has been a rise in the number of people falling ill due to the consumption of foods contaminated with other E.coli strains.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), non-E. coli O157:H7 strains cause about 112,000 illnesses every year in the US, and of those about 36,700 cases are linked to beef.

US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said the new regulation has to be in place to safeguard people from foodborne illnesses.

"We cannot ignore the evidence that these pathogens are a threat in our nation’s food supply," Vilsack added.

Food safety advocates have been urging the Obama Administration to expand E. coli tests, but the proposal met with stiff resistance from the industry, which claimed that it would lead to higher production costs.

In 2011, food safety inspectors collected about 2,700 samples from meat processing plants across the country for testing the presence of E. coli. Under the new regulation, the number of samples collected remains the same, even though each sample will be screened for six additional strains.

E. coli bacteria can lead to diarrhoea, dehydration and, in the most severe cases, even to kidney failure, especially in those with a weak immune system.

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Image: Beginning 4 June 2012, the US meat industry will have to conduct tests for six additional E.coli strains in beef trimmings. Photo: National Institutes of Health (NIH)