FSIS Spotlights Objectives, History of Its E. Coli Testing Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Sept. 5 called attention (via Twitter) to a page on its website that illuminates the history and objectives of its Microbiological Testing Program for E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
The report notes: "On October 17, 1994, FSIS began a microbiological testing program to detect Escherichia coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef. The objectives of the testing program have evolved over time. An original objective was to stimulate industry testing and other actions to reduce the presence of the pathogen in raw ground beef."