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US to Increase E. Coli Tests in Some Raw Beef Products.
June 1, 2012
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Effective next week, the US Agriculture Department will be <a href="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2012/05/0171.xml&navid=NEWS_RELEASE&navtype=RT&parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&edeployment_action=retrievecontent">expanding</a> its testing for E. coli in some (but not all) raw beef products. The new tests will test for six additional strains of E. coli that produce the so-called Shiga toxin — O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145. They will also continue to test for the better known E. coli — as well as the better known O157:H7. This new testing paradigm follows on the heels of a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/business/government-to-increase-e-coli-tests-in-raw-beef.html?_r=1&ref=business">report</a> that the FDA denied a petition by the Corn Refiners Association to change the name of the sweetener high-fructose corn syrup to corn sugar on nutrition labels. A sign of governmental toughening, or just a momentary blip? We should get a better sense when (if?) the new FSMA draft regulations are finally posted for comment.
For more information about this post, please contact Bob Cosgrove at rcosgrove@wcmlaw.com.