The USDA has announced that the March deadline for companies to begin testing for six additional strains of the E. coli bacteria has been pushed back to June 4, reports Bloomberg news. The extension is to allow meatpackers to ensure that their methods work, the agency said.
Since the USDA announced that six strains of E. coli beyond the O157:H7 strain will be banned, the meat industry has fought against the regulation. The industry has claimed there is no proof that the additional testing will prevent illnesses and outbreaks, and that the costs for the expanded testing could be as much as $300 million per year. U.S. trading partners, including Australia and Canada, have said that it will increase the price of exports to the U.S.