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FSIS Announces Quick and Efficient Method of Detecting E. coli O157:H7 |
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Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Bridgette Keefe
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2005 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection
Service (FSIS) today announced that it is adopting the BAX® system to detect Escherichia coli O157:H7
in raw beef. The BAX® system has proven to be a rapid, highly sensitive test for the detection of low
levels of E. coli O157:H7 in raw beef products and FSIS will use it as an initial screening test for
all raw beef samples that are analyzed for E. coli O157:H7. Any sample found positive by a screening
test must then undergo further confirmatory analysis. The same system is currently in use by FSIS for the
detection of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.
The BAX® system will substantially reduce the number of samples that are initially found to be a screening
positive, but then later confirmed to be negative. By reducing the number of false screening-positives,
FSIS will save critical laboratory resources that can be used for other food safety or food defense testing,
thus enhancing FSIS' efforts to protect public health. The improved screening test also reduces the number
of days that raw product from negative production lots must be held pending laboratory results.
FSIS is optimistic this will increase the number of establishments that choose to hold product pending FSIS
sampling results.
The evaluation of the BAX® system for E. coli O157:H7 was collaborative effort among FSIS'
Laboratory Quality Assurance Division (LQAD), FSIS' three field laboratories and USDA's Agricultural Research
Service. LQAD oversees the trial and approval of new laboratory methods and tests and conducts periodic audits
of each of FSIS' laboratories to ensure that processes are working as designed.
FSIS will be using the system to screen samples in the agency's three field service laboratories, located in
Athens, Ga., St. Louis, Mo. and Alameda, Calif. FSIS conducts approximately 90,000 microbiological tests for
E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes annually.
For further information on the BAX system, visit www.fsis.usda.gov.
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