SASKATOON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin testing March 5 for six E. coli strains that aren’t 0157:H7 serotypes.
The agency announced last fall it would begin testing for 026, 0103, 045, 0111, 0121 and 0145.
Raw ground beef, its components and tenderized steaks that test positive for these strains will not be sold for public consumption.
The Centre for Disease Control says these strains are responsible for more than 100,000 food-borne illnesses each year.
Steve Kay, editor and publisher of Cattle Buyers Weekly, said recently the USDA has estimated the cost of the testing program at $10 million, but the industry has pegged it at $173 to $323 million.
He said there are questions about how long the product will be held after testing because technology hasn’t been developed to do rapid testing. The meat would have to be held longer and therefore have a shorter shelf life, he said.
As well, he said there is the possibility of trade action by Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
