New research finds that E. coli O157:H7 can spread more than a tenth of a mile downwind from a cattle feedlot onto nearby produce. In the study, first author Elaine D. Berry of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Meat Animal Research Center and her colleagues sampled leafy greens growing in nine plots (three each at 60, 120, and 180 meters downwind from the cattle feedlot at the research center) over a two-year period. The rate of contamination with the pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 declined with distance. There was an average positive sample 3.5 percent of the time at 60 meters and 1.8 percent at 180 meters. The findings suggest that current buffer-zone guidelines of 120 meters (400 feet) from a feedlot may be inadequate. Transmission of the pathogens is thought to be airborne. The researchers found E. coli in air samples at 180 meters from the feedlot, though the instruments were not sensitive enough to pick up E. coli O157:H7. The highest levels of contamination on the produce were in August and September of 2012 after several weeks of very little rainfall and several days of high temperatures, conditions that appear to aid airborne transport of bacteria. The research was published ahead of print in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
Ten Latin American countries are taking part in a project to strengthen their national food safety systems through risk analysis, with one of the leading entities being a U.S.
Hygiene and allergen concerns have been raised as part of research into delivery-only food firms operating through online platforms.
Dark kitchens are businesses that offer food for delivery through
Poor hygiene, unsafe food handling practices, and a reliance on untrained food handlers may be placing vulnerable patients at some psychiatric hospitals at risk of foodborne illnesses, according to researchers
Researchers have described how climate change could have an impact on Salmonella and antimicrobial resistance.
Scientists analyzed more than 236,700 Salmonella genomes from 139 countries or regions over the
Lidl US is recalling all units of Eridanous Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Truffle Coating & Apricot Filling in 11.6-ounce boxes with the UPC number 4056489125839 with foreign language
Ten Latin American countries are taking part in a project to strengthen their national food safety systems through risk analysis, with one of the leading entities being a U.S.
As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or
