New Food Safety Techniques

Two companies, Ecolab and AvidBiotics, are cooperating to develop new food safety techniques associated with preventing foodborne illness bacteria in red meat. The companies are currently working specifically with E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. E. coli bacteria is a foodborne illness which can cause diarrhea, nausea, and other food poisoning symptoms. E. coli prevention is especially important as it can lead to the development of a fatal complication known as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) in children and individuals with weak immune systems. The companies are attempting to make commercially available a proprietary protein-based antibacterial technology that can be used to target bacteria such as E. Coli.  According a statement in the publication by Timothy Mulhere, Senior Vice President of Ecolab,

Ecolab is committed to helping customers reduce their food safety risks, offering multiple interventions to help ensure a safer global food supply. We will work with AvidBiotics to further develop this platform technology to complement and further strengthen our industry-leading suite of antimicrobial food safety solutions for the food processing market. 

As researchers continue to better understand foodborne bacteria including E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, new advancements will aid in ensuring a safer food supply.