E. coli Prevention
Non-0157 E. coli
The USDA will be taking greater actions to combat E. coli. Although the USDA currently tests products for the deadly E. coli O157:H7 strain, they will now begin testing for non-1057 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli, or STECs. Test samples will include…
E. coli Eating Antibiotics for Lunch
New research suggests that E. coli may have a new weapon to combat antibiotics. Although debate has surfaced over the use of antibiotics and the ability for bacteria to become resistant to the drugs, researchers from Harvard have discovered that some…
Microwave safety and E. coli
With outbreaks of E. coli 0157:H7 in frozen foods such as Jeno’s and Totino’s Pizza, the safety of microwave cooking has been intensely questioned and studied in order to provide safer products in the future. Many organizations in the food industry…
Ethanol and E. coli
2007 marked a drastic increase of recalled beef due to E. coli contamination, including the Topps Meat recall, the largest beef recall in U.S. history. There were 67 illnesses connected to the 20 recalls of 2007, as opposed to the 8…
2006 Spinach E. coli Outbreak Prompted Change
The 2006 outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 from fresh spinach has prompted many growers to change their practices to ensure the safety of their produce. According to the Detroit Free Press, growers in Yuma, Arizona have been stepping up precautionary measures…
NFBF Calls for Mandatory Testing for Imported Beef Trim
The Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation (NFBF) has sent a letter to the USDA criticizing certain aspects of the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s upgraded protocol to deal with E. coli 0157:H7 contamination, according to the Brownfield Network. The NFBF has issues…
E. coli and Grain-Fed Cattle
The debate continues as to whether grain-fed cattle are more likely to harbor deadly E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in their intestines. A recent Kansas State University study now finds that cattle fed distiller’s grain, a byproduct of the ethanol distilling process,…
E. coli Prevention: Cooking with Cameras
Three home-schooled girls found a new way to determine if hamburgers are cooked well enough to kill any E. coli bacteria—“burgercam” (from the Philadelphia Inquirer):
Above a stove, the girls mounted a camera that took a picture every 30 seconds. They…