In the News: Beef Safety & E. coli

Walmart recently announced that it will implement additional beef safety measures designed to further protect their customers against foodborne illnesses. The new process controls standards and goals are additions to a food safety program that already requires ground beef suppliers to test for E.coli O157:H7 and achieve prevention-based certification against one of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) internationally recognized standards.

“In light of recent beef recalls, we determined it was prudent to require an additional layer of protection for our customers,” said Vice President for Food Safety Frank Yiannas.

Read more here

In other E. coli news, Food Safety News reported on May 3, 2010 that investigators were slow to name the E.coli strain source in the latest outbreak. The outbreak appears to have claimed victims in three states, New York, Ohio, and Michigan. Public health officials in those states say laboratory work has confirmed 15 cases with another 32 suspected.

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What are your thoughts... should more grocery stores take Walmart's lead and require food safety measures? Are authorities working quickly enough when outbreaks occur?

NAMP e.Coli Conference

Idaho Technology recently attended and sponsored the National Association of Meat Processors (NAMP) conference August 18-19, 2009 titled “Prevention of E. coli O157:H7 for Further Processors”. It was hosted with the support of the Beef Industry Food Safety Council in collaboration with the USDA FSIS Office of Outreach, Employee Education and Training. The conference featured companies and associations from around the US and Mexico including the American Meat Institute, Consejo Mexicano de la Carne, US Meat Export Federation, Chicago Midwest Meat Association, Southwest Meat Association, American Association of Meat Processors, International HACCP Alliance and others.

Presenters shared their thoughts and research on topics such as the challenges for further processors in North America, types of E. coli testing, intervention technologies, USDA FSIS policies, CFIA regulations, identifying risk exposure, and preparing for a recall. Idaho Technology showcased our R.A.P.I.D.® LT Food Security System with our new E. coli O157:H7 test which detects the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef and spinach in less than an hour after an enrichment of 8 hours.

To read more about NAMP please visit: http://www.namp.com/namp/Default.asp
To learn more about the R.A.P.I.D. LT Food Security System please visit: http://www.idahotech.com/RAPIDLT/RAPIDLT-FSS.html

Food Safety Tip of the Week: Marinate meat and poultry in a covered dish in the refrigerator.

Campden UK Meeting

Along with our U.K. distributor Microgen Bioproducts, we recently attended the Campden BRI meeting “Rapid and alternative microbiology methods” on June 4, 2009. This was a one-day seminar designed to combine presentations from key experts in the area of rapid microbiological testing, and attendees included microbiologists and technologists from all levels of the food and beverage industry.The program included presentations on filter-based media culturing solutions, cell-based oxygen sensing systems, lateral flow devices, and PCR instruments. Idaho Technology was happy to participate with our "real-time PCR detection of E. coli O157:H7 from enriched food samples" presentation given by Kelly Winterberg, Ph.D.A special thanks to Stuart Clark, Ph.D. at Microgen Bioproducts for sponsoring the event and showing us great hospitality!

Stuart Clark Ph.D., Microgen Bioproducts showing the R.A.P.I.D. ® LT Food Security System from Idaho Technology.