Meat + Poultry - June 2010 - 14

Business Notes
New E.coli legislation would include more strains
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced new
legislation on May 27 that would require the U.S. Department
of Agriculture to regulate six currently unregulated strains
of E. coli proven to cause foodborne illnesses. In addition
to the most common form of E. coli that is already regulated, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) has identified six rarer
strains, known as non-0157 STECs, she said.
The CDC estimates non-O157 STECs
cause 36,700 illnesses, 1,100 hospitalizations and 30 deaths in America each year,
Sen. Gillibrand said.
She pointed out that although E. coli
Gillibrand
O157:H7 is by far the most common strain
in American beef, non-O157 STECs are increasingly
found in beef imported from other countries, but it is never
checked for those strains since current law only requires
imported ground beef to be checked for E. coli O157:H7.
Sen. Gillibrand's new legislation adds the six confi rmed
strains to the list of adulterants, requires meat companies
to test for and discard any batches containing any toxic

FOR SALE
UNITHERM
INFRARED
PASTEURIZER
SYSTEM
TWO STAINLESS STEEL
INFRARED OVENS W/ EXHAUST
ONE P.P.WATER BATH
W/EXHAUST
ONE PRODUCT CHILL DOWN
SYSTEM

INFRARED OVENS
P.P. WATER BATH

I
PRODUCT CHILLER

This complete system can be
purchased as a complete system or
individually. Kills 99.9% of pathogens
on pre-cooked meat products.
Extends shelf life by 20-30%.
Product surface temperature is
raised above 170° F.

CONTACT OR
CALL US TODAY
ANY RESONABLE OFFER
WILL BE CONSIDERED!

u
zi

Vincent Giordano Corporation
2600 Washington Ave.,
Philadelphia, PA 19146
215-467-6629
guyg@vgiordano.com

14 * Meat&Poultry * June 2010 * www.MeatPoultry.com

strains of E. coli and gives the USDA the authority to find
and regulate more toxic strains in the future.
Sen. Gillibrand's proposed legislation includes:
* Amending the Federal Meat Inspection Act to revise the
definition of the term ''adulterated'' to include contamination with E. coli.
* Defi ning E. coli as "enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) Shiga
toxin-producing serotypes of Escherichia coli."
* Including the following E. coli strains: 0157: H7, 026,
045, 0103, 011, 0121, 0145
EHEC was chosen because it is, by definition, pathogenic,
meaning disease causing, Sen. Gillibrand said.
"By expanding the defi nition of adulterants to other
strains, it will require USDA to begin spot testing procedures, force companies (through legal pressure) to test and
eliminate the pathogen, and require FSIS to recommend
best testing practices to companies," she said.
After her proposed legislation was announced, the American Meat Institute addressed her concerns and charges.

"We do not believe that
declaring non-O157 STECS to
be adulterants will enhance
the food-safety system."
"We share Sen. Gillibrand's desire to eradicate pathogenic bacteria, but we don't believe that an act of Congress can
make these bacteria disappear," said Mark Dopp, senior vice
president of regulatory affairs and general counsel, for the
American Meat Institute. "We also are puzzled by the fact
that this bill is being introduced at a time when the Centers
for Disease Control is tracking an outbreak of E. coli O145
[one of the strains in the bill] associated with romaine lettuce,
yet the bill would only declare the pathogen an adulterant
when found on meat. It is even more interesting to consider
that no confirmed outbreak of any of the six strains in her
bill has ever been associated with a meat product.
"We do not believe that declaring non-O157 STECS
to be adulterants will enhance the food-safety system, and
we think that application of such a policy could consume
resources that could be better spent elsewhere to achieve
meaningful food-safety progress," Dopp concluded. ■

Correction:
In a story published in the April issue of Meat&Poultry
(See "Seeds of Change," Page 68), the percentage used
to quantify the impact of Foster Farms' anti-plumping
campaign was inaccurate. The company says it actually
lost only one-half of a share point to private label last year,
compared to one-and-a-half share points lost by most other
branded chicken products. ■

http://www.MeatPoultry.com

Meat + Poultry - June 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat + Poultry - June 2010