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Factsheet – January 2002
Courtesy of the National
Cattlemen's Beef Association
No one cares
more about the safety of U.S. beef than America's one million
cattle producers. Raising safe beef is not only our livelihood,
but also our heritage and life.
What is E. coli O157:H7?
·
Generic
Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria are an
essential, but normally harmless component of the digestive tract
of healthy animals and people. E. coli O157:H7 is a
virulent strain of the family of generic bacteria. It produces
large quantities of a potent toxin that adheres to and causes
severe damage to the lining of the intestine. E. coli
O157:H7 can colonize in the intestines of animals (it does not
cause illness in cattle), which could contaminate meat at
slaughter.
·
Those
most susceptible to severe illness as a result of E. coli
O157:H7 are the elderly, young and those with compromised immune
systems.
·
Typically, E. coli O157:H7 related illnesses occur because
the O157:H7 series emits a toxin that can cause hemorrhagic
colitis, a disease with symptoms of bloody diarrhea and severe
abdominal pain. Approximately 10 percent of these cases in
children lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is the
leading cause of acute renal failure in children.
·
HUS may
progress to thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a central nervous
system disease, characterized by seizures and coma. Patients with
TTP often develop blood clots in the brain, usually resulting in
death.
How many people get sick from it?
-
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention’s report on the burden of food-borne illness in
the United States, published in September 1999, estimates that
E. coli O157:H7 causes 73,480 illnesses per year (62,458
food-borne). This surveillance-based estimate puts the number of
deaths from E. coli O157:H7 at 61 per year (52
food-borne) — this is much lower than previous “guesstimates” of
250-500 deaths. CDC estimates that this known pathogen accounts
for just .5 percent of all food-borne illnesses and 2.9 percent
of all food-borne deaths. (Food-borne illnesses come from
ingesting contaminated food; non-foodborne illnesses come from
other sources, such as person-to-person contact.)
-
The number of E. coli
O157:H7 infections between 1998 and 1999 dropped by 25 percent,
and declined by 22 percent from 1996 to 1999, and appears to be
holding at the same rate of 2.1 cases per 100,000 people,
according to preliminary data released in April 2001 by the CDC
program FoodNet (Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network).
What is the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef?
The presence of E. coli O157:H7 in
ground beef is very rare. The Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) division of the USDA began
random testing for E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef in
October 1994. As of January 25, 2002, FSIS has tested about 48,000
samples and the incidence rate for E. coli O157:H7 in
randomly sampled ground beef remains at about one-fourth of one
percent (0.28 percent).
How can I safely
prepare beef?
-
Consumers have the power to fight
bacteria and to keep food safe from harmful bacteria. It's as
easy as following these four simple steps: clean, cook, chill
and separate (don’t cross-contaminate).
-
Always cook ground beef patties to
an internal temperature of 160 ºF.
When a ground beef patty is cooked
to 160 ºF throughout, it will be safe and tasty, regardless of
color. Color is not a reliable indicator. Use an accurate
instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the center
of the burger. Ground beef is a perishable product. Use or
freeze within one or two days of purchase.
-
It’s the surface areas of meat
that can be contaminated with E. coli. It’s okay to eat
whole muscle cuts —such as steaks and roasts — while they are
still pink in the middle. The NCBA Beef and Veal Culinary Center
as well as the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service recommends
cooking steaks just to medium rare (145°F internal temperature)
or medium (160°F internal temperature) doneness; do not
overcook.
-
Be sure there are plenty of clean
utensils and platters. To prevent food-borne illness, don't use
the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and
poultry. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat and poultry and
their juices can contaminate safely cooked food. Don’t put other
foods on platters that have held raw meat or poultry.
What are other risk factors or foods for E. coli O157:H7?
·
Contact
with farm animals, such as calves and other young ruminant
animals, can pose a risk, especially for the elderly, young and
those with compromised immune systems. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in April 2001 released strategies for
petting zoos and other animal venues to reduce risk, such as
providing adequate hand-washing stations and strictly separating
eating areas from areas where humans and animals are in contact.
·
The
E. coli O157:H7 pathogen has triggered food-borne illness
outbreaks from consumption of foods as diverse as unpasteurized
apple juice, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, ground beef and
strawberries. Swimming in and drinking contaminated water have
also triggered outbreaks, as have improperly handling (not washing
hands) dirty diapers from an infected child.
·
While
outbreaks attributed to beef tend to grab the headlines, it’s also
very important to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables under cold
running tap water to remove any lingering contaminants. The CDC
report on surveillance for food-borne disease outbreaks, released
in March 2000, showed that the number of cases of food-borne
disease in outbreaks attributed to fruits and vegetables have
exceeded those of beef every single year — even by 10-to-1, in
1995.
What
is the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle?
·
A study
released by USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center in spring 2000 led
to a great deal of confusion. The USDA research says that 83
percent of the cattle studied had been exposed to E. coli
O157:H7 at some point in their lives. This does not mean that at
any given time the incidence rate of E. coli O157:H7 in
cattle is that high. Research studying on-farm factors may hold
promise, but to date these studies have been inconclusive. Even
the report authors write, “Unfortunately, no effective control
methods are currently available for producers to use in reducing
prevalence of EHEC (Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli)
O157 in cattle.”
·
In a
1999 study by Colorado State University and reported by the
American Meat Institute Foundation, an average of 3.65 percent of
cattle headed for slaughter at 12 packing plants were carrying the
harmful E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. However, the bacteria was
found on less than one-half of 1 percent (0.44%) of the fresh
carcasses sampled in the study. Further, no E. coli showed
up once the carcasses had been subjected to intervention processes
in the plant, such as steam, hot water and organic acid rinses.
Checkoff-funded research has helped to develop these
interventions, which have been shown to reduce the incidence of
bacteria on carcasses by more than 99 percent. NCBA and the cattle
industry continue to support research funding for the elimination
of this pathogen from the food supply.
·
It’s
important to remember that people don’t eat live cattle, they eat
beef. And the USDA data shows the incidence of E. coli
O157:H7 in raw ground beef is about one-fourth of 1 percent (.28).
What is being done about E. coli O157:H7?
HACCP –
The Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) program has been
fully implemented as a science-based food safety strategy to
reduce the risk of illness caused by bacterial contamination of
meat and poultry products. HACCP is a science-based system of
inspection, in which the industry takes on more responsibility for
assuring the safety of product. HACCP employs more modernized,
scientific procedures and critical control points (CCP’s), as
opposed to the more outdated, carcass-by-carcass manual inspection
method. As of January 25, 2000, all processing plants, including
the smallest plants, were required to have a HACCP plan
implemented. The results for all pathogen reduction are
encouraging — FSIS released a
report in April 2001 showing that the prevalence of Salmonella
in raw meat and poultry has decreased since the implementation of
HACCP in 1998. The report is the first aggregate data on all sizes
of plants, including data from very small plants. The new data
demonstrate that all categories of product show improvement over
baseline studies conducted prior to HACCP implementation.
Irradiation –
The beef
industry supports new technologies to improve food safety
including irradiation, which won FDA approval for red meat in
1997. USDA issued the final rule for implementing irradiation of
red met in February 2000. Using low doses of gamma rays, x-rays or
electrons, irradiation has proven effective in destroying
food-borne pathogens including E. coli O157:H7.
Research—
-
The beef industry has invested
more than $12 million dollars since 1994 in E. coli
O157:H7 food safety applied research. Techniques resulting from
this research include steam vacuuming beef carcasses, which
effectively removes E. coli O157:H7 and other harmful
bacteria. “Thermal pasteurization,” a rinse cycle for beef
carcasses with 180-degree water, and mild organic acid solutions
also reduces pathogens.
-
More than 85 percent of the
research projects beef producers have funded with their checkoff
dollars have directly and immediately led to implementation of
technology and procedures that increase beef safety.
-
Current checkoff-funded E. coli
O157 safety research on live cattle centers on developing and
testing cattle-cleaning systems and experimenting with cattle
feed additives. Beef safety research is working on intervention
systems for sub-primals and trimmings; finding more
statistically valid ways to sample and test beef for E. coli
O157:H7; examining the impact of environmental factors such as
equipment, water and air on E. coli and beef products;
and reviewing beef safety research on non-intact beef products.
-
In a show of unprecedented
commitment by the entire industry, the Beef Industry Food
Safety Council (BIFSCo) was formed in October 1997 to
develop industry-wide, science-based strategies to solve the
problem of E. coli O157:H7 and other food-borne pathogens
in beef. The Council continues to identify, prioritize, and
facilitate research activities from farm to table; develop
programs to help industry segments operate in today's business
environment; speak with one voice in seeking regulatory and
legislative solutions; develop consumer education programs; and
develop and implement industry education programs to assist in
the transfer of technology into the market place. In short, the
focus continues to be on prevention at all stages to
significantly reduce and possibly eliminate problems. NCBA CEO
Chuck Schroeder is chairman of the council.
-
Blue Ribbon Task Force
was formed in 1993 to aggressively address the E. coli
O157:H7 problem. Top scientists from the beef industry, academia
and government developed a "blue print" of actions, from farm to
fork. Some accomplishments thus far include development and
implementation of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points), the steam vacuuming technology and safe handling labels
on consumer packaging.
Safe handling labels –
All fresh meat and poultry products
have carried safe cooking and handling labels since 1993.
Consumer education-
The
Partnership for Food Safety’s "Fight BAC!" consumer
education campaign is reaching consumers through a web page (www.fightbac.org),
thousands of brochures, and other cooperative activities. NCBA is
a member of the Partnership for Food Safety, which brings together
industry, government and consumer groups whose goal is to develop
consistent and memorable messages about the importance of handling
food properly. Consumers have the power to fight bacteria and to
keep food safe from harmful bacteria. It's as easy as following
these four simple steps: clean, cook, chill and separate (don’t
cross-contaminate).
Also see these resources on the
Internet:
NCBA Cattle & Beef
Handbook – Food Safety chapter – see “food safety” area of
www.beef.org
FSIS Food Safety
Focus (Background Information)
FOCUS ON: Beef . . . from Farm to Table at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Beef_from_Farm_to_Table/index.asp
FOCUS ON: Ground Beef at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/ground_beef_and_food_safety/index.asp
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s report on the burden of food-borne
illness in the United States, published in September 1999
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol5no5/mead.htm
Preliminary FoodNet
Data on the Incidence of Foodborne Illnesses --- Selected Sites,
United States, 1999
http://www.cdc.gov/epo/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4910a1.htm
Preliminary FoodNet
Data on the Incidence of Foodborne Illnesses --- Selected Sites,
United States, 2000
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5013a1.htm
Outbreaks of
Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infections Among Children Associated
With Farm Visits --- Pennsylvania and Washington, 2000
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5015a5.htm
Incidence of
Escherichia coli O157:H7 on Hide Carcass and Trimmings
Samples Collected From United States Packing Plants
http://www.amif.org/AMIF%20Executive%20Summary%20Carcass%20Sampling%202000.pdf
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