Beef Industry Leaders Launch Pre-Harvest Guidelines for E. coli Prevention

DENVER (February 11, 2004) –Leaders from the pre-harvest sector of the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo) today launched the next step in their commitment to E. coli O157:H7 solutions.   For the first time, what we know about the science behind E. coli O157:H7 and best practices currently being implemented will be shared with beef producers across the country.

After more than a year of compiling the best management practices and research on E. coli, a checkoff-funded resource guide has been developed and will be distributed to beef producers through the Beef Quality Assurance program.  While several promising interventions require more research, the guide specifically defines several best management practices that work toward one of the industry’s fundamental goals of ensuring animal health and providing a safe product for consumers.

“As cow-calf and feedlot operators, we recognize the crucial role we play in the fight against E. coli and other pathogens,” said Mike Engler, Ph.D., BIFSCo Steering Committee member and President of Cactus Feeders.  “It’s clear that controlling E. coli at all stages of the production chain makes every beef product even safer.  And the resource guide we’re distributing represents the commitment of the pre-harvest sector to do our part to reduce this pathogen.”

Specifically developed for cattle producers, the resource guide includes several best practices for management and principle-based husbandry.  “These practices include actions that producers are already taking like maintaining clean feed, water and environment,” said James O. Reagan, Ph.D., Chairman, BIFSCo Steering Committee and Vice President of Research and Knowledge Management, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “The industry-wide resource also contains a comprehensive status update on pathogen intervention research.”

The resource guide identifies two approved pre-harvest intervention options against E. coli O157:H7. Checkoff-funded research has found them to reduce prevalence of the pathogen in livestock. Specific direct-fed microbials such as Culture Complex Probiotic Bovamine (Nutrition Physiology Corp.) have been proven to reduce E. coli prevalence. For example, a recent checkoff-funded study found that cattle fed Bovamine had 71 percent less E. coli 0157:H7 presence than the control group. Tasco 14ä, a seaweed extract fed to cattle 14 days before harvest, has also been shown to reduce the incidence of E. coli.  Both interventions are commercially available and approved for use.  In fact, approximately 1.5 to 2 million head of cattle are being fed Bovamine at any one time.

“We’re committed to continued research that will help us better understand E. coli and how producers can help further reduce this pathogen on-farm. There are still many knowledge gaps,” said Guy Loneragan, Ph.D., Beef Checkoff E. coli Working Group member and West Texas A&M University epidemiologist. “One way we can close these gaps is by coordinating industry and government research efforts.”

The resource guide was introduced to cattle producers along with other industry members at the 2004 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Phoenix, Ariz. last month. The guide was met with resounding support from industry members in the pre-harvest sector as well as other sectors.  In fact, members of other industry sectors requested several thousand copies of the pre-harvest resource guide to distribute to the beef producers with whom they work directly. 

Funded by beef producers with checkoff dollars, BIFSCo brings together representatives from all sectors of the beef industry – including cow/calf producers, feedlot operators, packers, processors, retailers and foodservice operators – to battle the industry’s most complex food safety issues as one cohesive unit. 

Last year at the checkoff-funded E. coli Summit held in San Antonio, Texas, more than 200 beef industry leaders from all sectors of the industry collectively pledged to reduce and eventually eliminate E. coli from U.S. beef.  Since then, industry working groups in collaboration with BIFSCo have been working to review and compile best practice guidelines for each sector of the industry. 

All of the Best Practices are available on the BIFSCo Web site as they are completed (www.bifsco.org).  These are living documents that will be updated and reviewed as scientific and technological advances are made.

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