The E. coli that are responsible for the numerous reports of contaminated foods and beverages are those that produce Shiga toxin, so called because the toxin is virtually identical to that produced by Shigella dysenteria type. The best-known and also most notorious E. coli bacteria that produce Shiga toxin is E. coli O157:H7. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) causes approximately 100,000 illnesses, 3,000 hospitalizations, and 90 deaths annually in the United States.

Most reported STEC infections in the United States are caused by E. coli O157:H7, with an estimated 73,000 cases occurring each year. A study published in 2005 estimated the annual cost of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses to be $405 million (in 2003 dollars), which included $370 million for premature deaths, $30 million for medical care, and $5 million for lost productivity.

Learning Objectives:-

• Understand the current status of efforts to control E.coli in our food supply
• Know the difference between corrective action and prevention
• Gain some insight into what all this costs
• Understand how well the food supply chain is prepared to meet the challenge
• Know something about the problems associated with detection and prevention
• Review how the Food Safety Modernization Act intends to create needed food supply changes
• Understand the difference between food safety audits and “hard data”
• Know the limits of current testing technologies and associated costs

Areas Covered:-

• Background Data
• Understanding “Science-Based”
• Risk
• Sources of E.coli
  • Water
  •  Food
• Testing for E.coli
  • Technology
  • Time
  • Cost
• Solutions
• Controls
  • Prevention vs Corrective Action
  • Recall
  • Post Infection Issues
• Preventive Planning

Background:-

How do you know if you are about to consume contaminated salad greens when dining in a fine restaurant?  How well prepared are the restaurant, the farm, or the transporter to protect you and your family on July 4th from sitting down to and eating a hamburger laden with E.coli?

E. coli is one of many foodborne threats to human health and can be a cause of death or lingering illness. It has been and continues to frustrate the best efforts of farmers, scientists, government agencies, and consumers.

Why are there so many E. coli-related recalls? Can I wash my vegetables and cool the beef to well done to protect us? What are farmers, slaughterhouses, and the government doing? Can’t we determine whether or not food is uncontaminated before it enters the food supply chain? So many questions and so few answers.

Why Should You Attend:-

The production and use of safe and sanitary food requires testing, solutions, and controls, and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is designed to provide dynamic change that reduces risk and prevents contaminants such as E.coli from threatening us with death and lingering aftereffects of illness.

This presentation will provide a summary of the current status of scientific, preventive, risk-reducing efforts to get control over sources of E. coli and how we are going about the exhaustive tasks required to protect consumers from ingesting impacted food.

Who will Benefit:-

• Consumers
• Growers
• Food Safety Personnel
• Processors and Packers
• Quality Management
• Internal food safety and quality team members
• Purchasing Agents
• Internal and External Auditors who review facility quality assurance and food safety programs
• Sanitation specialists and teams