Recently we received that dreaded call that a child had become ill with E.coli O157:H7 poisoning, and although they couldn’t say for sure, they believed over the past couple of weeks the child may have eaten one of our burgers.
On Aug. 13, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published a Notice in the Federal Register titled “Implementation of FSIS Traceback and Recall Procedures for Escherichia coli O157:H7 Positive Raw Beef Product.”
As interest in more natural products continues to grow, bacteriophages (phages) — basically viruses that kill bacteria — have become particularly appealing.
This summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed that mechanically tenderized beef and beef products injected with marinade or solution be labeled due to food-safety concerns.
On Dec. 13, 2013, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued Notice 81-13 to clarify and expand its routine trim sampling programs. Inspection program personnel (IPP) were to implement this notice beginning Jan. 5, 2014, with updating the plant profile so that sampling tasks can be appropriately scheduled.