Trim found to be contaminated with these pathogens will not be allowed into commerce and will be subject to recall.

On June 4, six non-O157 STECs (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145) officially became per se adulterants in various raw beef products. On that date, FSIS began analyzing raw beef manufacturing trimmings for these six.

These measures will significantly improve the ability of both plants and USDA to trace contaminated food materials in the supply chain.

A recent study by vegetarian-advocate group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine claims that in a recent test of packaged raw chicken products bought at grocery stores across the country, 48 percent of the 120 packages contained E. coli bacteria.

Town and Country Foods Inc., a Greene, Maine establishment, is recalling approximately 2,057 pounds of ground and tenderized beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7

The extension is to allow meatpackers to ensure that their methods work, the USDA said.

Recent research has demonstrated that lactic acid-based antimicrobials, such as Birko's Beefxide, are effective in reducing non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in beef trimmings.

If a meat processor were to spend $16 million a year on vaccines for its cattle to prevent bacterial contamination, but a recall still takes place due to contamination further down the line, is the earlier pre-harvest investment worth it?

The USDA has awarded a research grant to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to help reduce the occurrence and public health risks from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli along the entire beef production pathway.

The North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) has announced the first of two Campylobacter workshops in 2012 on March 6 - 8, at Auburn University.