Secretary Reacts to Extreme Case of E. coli
Vilsack reaffirms USDA's commitment to protect health.
Compiled by staff
Published: Oct 6, 2009
Over the weekend, a New York newspaper published the story of a 22-year old woman who contracted E. coli after her mother had grilled a hamburger for her. That was two years ago. Today, Stephanie Smith is paralyzed. Ms. Smith's reaction to the virulent strain of E. coli was extreme. But, it happened.
The New York Times reported that the ingredients came from slaughterhouses in Nebraska, Texas and Uruguay, and from a South Dakota company that processes fatty trimmings and treats them with ammonia to kill bacteria. The question being asked is: Could have more testing and better traceback help identify the problem?
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says USDA is looking at ways to enhance traceback methods and will initiate a rulemaking in the near future to require all grinders, including establishments and retail stores, to keep accurate records of the sources of each lot of ground beef.
"No priority is greater to me than food safety," Vilsack said. "I am firmly committed to taking the steps necessary to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness and protect the American people from preventable illnesses."
Vilsack says protecting public health is the sole mission of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and FSIS has continued to make improvements to reduce the presence of E. coli O157:H7 and the agency is committed to working to reduce the incidence of foodborne illnesses caused by this pathogen. According to Vilsack 75 million Americans experience a food-borne illness each year, and 5,000 die from such illnesses.
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