The undersigned members of the Safe Food Coalition write to express our concern that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) may need to revise testing and control requirements for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serotypes to adequately protect consumers. Specifically, FSIS should recommend “test and hold” for all STECs, not just E. coli O157:H7, and discontinue the assumption that testing and safety protocols for the O157:H7 serotype are sufficient to control or eliminate the risks posed by non-O157:H7 STECs. We are concerned due to the two recent E. coli recalls – of two separate STEC serotypes – linked to ground beef produced by Cargill Meat Solutions, Inc.
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