There is no evidence the prevalence of this organism has changed at all since we began studying it in the early 1990s,'' said Gary Weber of the National Cattlemens Beef Association. Actual infection rates are less than one-half percent of cows, based on testing by meat grinders and processors, he said. The new data also raises the issue of whether farmers and ranchers need to do more to prevent E. coli in their herds. The bacteria is found more often on the hides of feedlot cattle, the USDA said. Feedlot cattle are typically fattened in a confined area just before going to slaughter.
Consumer groups say on-farm prevention is essential.
We'd like to see development of some kind of vaccine or competitive exclusion product for cattle that will eliminate this strain of bacteria from the gut of the animals,'' said Caroline Smith DeWaal, a food safety expert with the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The U.S. meat industry is also examining the issue. The American Meat Institute, an industry trade group, has funded research to measure how much E. coli is left on an animal hide after slaughter. The researchers are also trying to determine whether various chemical dips, steam vacuuming or other treatments of hides are best to kill the bacteria. With E. coli more common in raw meat, processors are likely to embrace irradiation technology that can kill the bacteria.