Approaches to Meat Safety

Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Pork, Are They Really Only a Problem for Beef?

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Abstract

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) can be the cause of severe life-threatening disease, outbreaks, and recalls. The most common STEC that causes disease is O157:H7, but about half of STEC infections are caused by non-O157 STEC, with most of those infections caused by six serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145). Since cattle are a natural reservoir for STEC, beef products can be contaminated during harvest and processing which has led the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to declare these seven STEC as adulterants and monitor their presence in raw beef products. Other less common non-O157 STEC that are equally as pathogenic are present but not identified by screening tests. Swine and pork products are not recognized as a source of STEC and their presence in pork is not regulated. However, screening tests have indicated that 82.3% of swine entering harvest carry STEC on their skin, with 7.8% of post-scald carcasses and 1.7% of finished carcasses still contaminated by a STEC. This level of STEC on finished carcasses implies there likely could be STEC in final pork products and that the STEC may be present in the processing and/or fabrication environment. The data presented here describe the results of a survey of STEC in raw pork products and an evaluation of pork processing environments for STEC.

How to Cite:

Bosilevac, J. M., Guragain, M. & Wang, R., (2023) “Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Pork, Are They Really Only a Problem for Beef?”, SafePork 14(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/safepork.16349