Costco Wholesale and Beef Products are two companies that have opted to take action rather than wait for the US government to uphold its promise to strengthen consumers’ protection from E. coli. E. coli prevention previously concentrated on one prevalent strain of the bacteria, O157:H7. The US Department of Agriculture’s proposal for how to address the “Big Six,” six less common forms of E. coli, in ground beef has hit a standstill in its review by the Office of Management and Budget. The two firms are acting despite the delay. Costco now mandates that its suppliers of packaged produce test for a variety of E. coli strains and has announced plans to test all ground beef. Beef Products has begun Big Six testing at one plant and will start tests at its other four plants upon obtaining enough test kits. DuPont Qualicon intends to start selling a test kit that can identify the six strains by September and is also designing a test for the E. coli strain O104:H4 that contributed to 42 deaths and illness in nearly 4,000 people earlier this year in Europe via contaminated sprouts.

Source: New York Times