US Declares War on E.Coli serogroups

The US Department of Agriculture has declared six additional serogroups of pathogenic E. coli as adulterants in non-intact raw beef.

Raw ground beef, its components, and tenderised steaks found to contain these bacteria will be prohibited from sale to consumers.

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will launch a testing programme to detect these dangerous pathogens and prevent them from reaching consumers.

As a result of the action, if the E. coli serogroups O26, O103, O45, O111, O121 and O145 are found in raw ground beef or its precursors, those products will be prohibited from entering commerce.

US meat processor Cargill has launched a recall of more turkey products because of concerns of Salmonella contamination.

The company said that as a precautionary measure, Cargill Value Added Meats Retail, part of Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, has announced an immediate Class I voluntary recall of approximately 185,000 pounds of 85-per cent-lean fresh ground turkey products produced at the company’s Springdale, Arkansas plant on 23, 24, 30 and 31 August this year.

The company said that the recall was due to possible contamination from Salmonella Heidelberg.

The Tunisian authorities have amended their BSE testing requirements for Irish beef so that they are consistent with those that apply within the EU.

For cattle whose beef is destined for Tunisia, this means an increase in the minimum age of testing from 48 months to 72 months.

Meanwhile in the UK, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has discussed a proposal to relax certain provisions in the current ban on the use of meat and bone meal (now called processed animal protein, PAP) in feeds for poultry and pigs. The ban was introduced as part of the measures to counter the spread of BSE.