2003 News Archive
Pre-Harvest Strategies Have Role in Food Safety
Scientific experts and food industry leaders presented today an impressive array of research findings aimed at reducing foodborne pathogens in livestock prior to slaughter. The briefings were given at a public meeting hosted by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
“The importance of beef safety cannot be overstated,” says Mike Engler, chairman of the Joint Beef Industry Beef Safety Subcommittee and president of Cactus Feeders in Amarillo, Tex. “Science and technology are definitely our strongest weapons in the fight against foodborne pathogens in beef cattle such as E. coli O157:H7.”
Engler highlighted a number of successful intervention strategies developed and in use today in processing facilities such as carcass rinses, steam pasteurization, hot water pasteurization, steam vacuuming, Lactoferrin, and cattle cleaning systems. Feed additives such as lactobacillus acidophilus and Tasco 14TM are currently available to producers and were also discussed. “Cattle producers have played a key role in these research efforts,” Engler says. “It’s estimated that roughly 80 percent of the technologies and methodologies implemented by the industry are the result of checkoff-funded beef safety research.”
The beef industry boosted its beef safety efforts in January of this year with the coordination of the checkoff-funded E.coli Summit where more than 200 industry leaders collectively pledged to further reduce the incidence of E.coli O157:H7 in the beef supply. Attendees committed to implementing a series of industry-wide actions to achieve this goal. As part of its policy division, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) met with officials at USDA and the Food and Drug Administration to call for a more cooperative approach to foster coordinated strategies and research efforts.
Comprehensive research reviews will be taken into consideration as industry and government develop best management practices for the beef production sector. “As presented today, continued research is needed to fill in the knowledge gaps and develop interventions that are effective at the pre-harvest level,” Engler says.
“Food safety is priority-one for our industry, and for our government as well,” says Terry Stokes, NCBA CEO. “Research has proven that these science-based practices and intervention technologies will go a long way toward further reducing and eventually eliminating pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 in the food supply.”