Gov't expanding E. coli tests in meat

May 31, 2012 by SAM HANANEL in Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

(AP) — The government is expanding E. coli testing in some raw meat, a move expected to prevent more people from contracting the bacteria that can cause severe illness or death.

The meat industry has been required for 18 years to test for just one strain of E. coli. Starting Monday, it will be required to test beef trimmings for six more strains of the pathogen that have been linked to a growing number of illnesses.

The industry has opposed the move, saying the tests are too expensive and there aren't enough benefits.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the pathogens pose a threat to the nation's food supply.

Beef trimmings are parts of the cow used to make ground beef.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Tags

Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Resistance to last-line antibiotic makes bacteria resistant to immune system

Bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin are also commonly resistant to antimicrobial substances made by the human body, according to a study in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microb ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 17 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Report: NPS hantavirus response followed policy

(AP)—Federal investigators probing the hantavirus outbreak blamed for three deaths at Yosemite National Park recommend that design changes to tent cabins and other lodging run by private concessionaires first be reviewed ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 5 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New test better detects elephantiasis worm infection

A new diagnostic test for a worm infection that can lead to severe enlargement and deformities of the legs and genitals is far more sensitive than the currently used test, according to results of a field ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 6 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

SARS-like virus claims new life in Saudi

A Saudi man who had contracted the coronavirus has died, raising the death toll in the kingdom from the SARS-like virus to 16, the health ministry announced on Monday on its Internet website.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 7 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Telerehabilitation allows accurate assessment of patients with low back pain

A new "telerehabilitation" approach lets physical therapists assess patients with low back pain (LBP) over the Internet, with good accuracy compared with face-to-face examinations, reports a study in the May 15 issue of Sp ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 8 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Early-life traffic-related air pollution exposure linked to hyperactivity

Early-life exposure to traffic-related air pollution was significantly associated with higher hyperactivity scores at age 7, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital ...

New immune system discovered

(Medical Xpress)—A research team, led by Jeremy Barr, a biology post-doctoral fellow, unveils a new immune system that protects humans and animals from infection.

The compound in the Mediterranean diet that makes cancer cells 'mortal'

New research suggests that a compound abundant in the Mediterranean diet takes away cancer cells' "superpower" to escape death. By altering a very specific step in gene regulation, this compound essentially re-educates cancer ...

Scientists identify molecular trigger for Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have pinpointed a catalytic trigger for the onset of Alzheimer's disease – when the fundamental structure of a protein molecule changes to cause a chain reaction that leads to the death of neurons ...

Do salamanders hold the solution to regeneration?

Salamanders' immune systems are key to their remarkable ability to regrow limbs, and could also underpin their ability to regenerate spinal cords, brain tissue and even parts of their hearts, scientists have ...

Practice makes perfect? Not so much

Turns out, that old "practice makes perfect" adage may be overblown. New research led by Michigan State University's Zach Hambrick finds that a copious amount of practice is not enough to explain why people ...