It has been over a year since the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) declared six non-O157 STECs as adulterants on raw non-intact beef, and almost five months since the agency started testing beef trimmings for these pathogens. Now, FSIS will conduct for-cause Food Safety Assessments (FSAs) following an agency or establishment positive non-O157 test. In addition, FSIS will verify that establishments producing trimmings have considered non-O157 in their hazard analysis during routine FSAs.
For slaughter establishments, this means a prudent establishment would review its food-safety system to determine if the system effectively addresses non-O157 STECs. Interestingly, FSIS does not expressly require a HACCP reassessment unless the agency or the establishment has a positive non-O157 test result. Nevertheless, in practical terms, the most effective way to consider non-O157 STECs is to conduct a reassessment (and, as required by 9 CFR 417.4 (a)(3)(i), document it).