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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2013 Publication Date: 8/1/2013 Citation: Porto Fett, A.C., Luchansky, J.B. 2013. Recovery, characterization, and control of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli(STEC) in meats. Meeting Abstract.,Federal Partners STEC Research Summit,Charlotte, NC., August 1-2, 2013., Volume 1, Page 1. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: The objective of this presentation is to provide an overview of research conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at several locations at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in the Eastern United States. This research was conducted in collaboration with numerous national and international partners from government, academia, and industry. As one example, at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), in Beltsville, MD, research has been conducted to: i) determine environmental sites across dairy farming systems that support viability of STEC, ii) characterize the impact of these sites in the prevalence of the pathogen in raw milk and meat, and iii) evaluate interventions for reduction of STEC in the dairy farm environment. Similarly, at the Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC), in Wyndmoor, PA, ARS scientists, in collaboration with the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), have conducted research to develop and validate a rapid and effective method for detection and identification of the top six non-O157:H7 serotypes of STEC from ground beef, beef trim, and the beef processing environment. Studies have also been conducted to elucidate the mechanisms of STEC biofilm formation and the role of biofilms in STEC persistence, as well as the role of quorum sensing among STEC in food environments. Other ERRC scientists developed predictive models to quantify the growth kinetics and/or behavior of STEC in food and food systems and their associated use in microbial databases. Lastly, scientists at the ERRC Center of Excellence in Process Validation (CEPV) have conducted research to comparatively evaluate the translocation and/or subsequent thermal/acidic inactivation of STEC in raw, cooked, and further processed beef to reduce the risk of illness due to the consumption of non-intact beef. Collectively, these studies will expand our knowledge of the persistence, characterization, and control of STEC along the food chain continuum, and in so doing, lessen the occurrence, risk, and severity of illness associated with consumption of contaminated meats. |
