Researchers Develop Time-Saving Assay for E. coli O157:H7 in Beef
A Purdue University research team has developed a new time-saving assay to detect Escherichiacoli O157:H7in ground beef. Development of the assay was led by Bruce Applegate, Ph.D., Professor of Food Science at Purdue.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has a “zero tolerance” policy for E. coli O157:H7, meaning that if a single cell is detected in a standard 325-gram or 11.4-ounce sample of ground beef, the entire batch is flagged as unfit for consumption. However, detecting pathogens at such low concentrations requires enrichment.