Meat safety sizzling issue
It’s the type of image that makes beef producers shudder.
The cover of Newsweek magazine Sept. 1 featured a photo of a package of hamburger with the caption “Can this meat kill you? The E. coli threat – it’s worse than you think.”
The article was part of a wave of coverage that swept the United States after the U. S. Department of Agriculture pressed Hudson Foods Inc. to close its Nebraska beef processing plant and recall a record 11 million kilograms of hamburger
Read Also
Working groups established to address challenges in the containerized and bulk movement of commodities
CN is working with the pulse and special crops sector on resolving challenges in shipping those commodities.
after 17 people in Colorado became ill from eating Hudson meat.
The processor was a major supplier to Burger King and the American outlets of that chain were burgerless for a few of days until they could get new product.
Health officials found E. coli 0157:H7 in some of the Hudson ground beef. E. coli bacteria are found everywhere, but the 0157:H7 variety is particularly troublesome, causing severe diarrhea, dehydration, and in some cases kidney failure.
Food scares can cause great damage to an industry. Last year, deadly food poisoning in Japan caused consumers there to buy less beef. The lack of export demand hurt North American beef and pork producers.
But so far, it appears North Americans haven’t been frightened away from their fast food. Shortly after the recall, Burger King introduced a new burger and it broke the restaurant chain’s sales records.
But the issue won’t go away.
Consumers have been told they need to cook meat thoroughly and keep preparation surfaces sterile. But they want guarantees of food safety.
Processors were already focusing on bacteria-killing steam pasteurization cabinets. Cargill has the system in its beef slaughter plants, including the one at High River, Alta. Recently, IBP announced it will follow suit.
But a story in The Washington Post asks what cattle producers are doing.
The E. coli 0157:H7 starts out in the animal’s gut and contaminates meat at the slaughterhouse when feces spatter on the carcass.
Isn’t the best protection to prevent contamination by eliminating it from cattle? Producers are not so sure and say that when cattle arrive at the slaughter plant, the meat is sterile.
There is little research into the dangerous E. coli variety, but there is some evidence from the University of Georgia that giving cattle a “good” bacteria treatment will force out the “bad” bacteria.
More research is needed.
In the meantime, as pressure mounts on the meat industry for safety guarantees, expect some finger pointing to be directed at producers.
