E. coli O157:H7—Searching for Solutions

Escherichia coli—a bacterium that started out as a threat in ground beef—now shows up in raw vegetables, unpasteurized juice and milk, and even in the water we swim in or we drink from wells.

Millions of pounds of “contaminated” ground beef have been recalled based on detecting O157:H7 in a single sample from a production lot, raising the question of the efficacy and wisdom of end-product testing. The school lunch program faces a shortfall in available ground beef. The meat industry has come unde…