Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ground beef: review of a draft risk assessment

172 Pages·2002·3.72 MB·English

by  Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Committee on the Review of the USDA E coli O157:H7 Farm-to-Table Process Risk Assessment

Committee on the Review of the USDA E. coli O157:H7
Farm-to-Table Process Risk Assessment
Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Food and Nutrition Board
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COMMITTEE ON THE REVIEW OF THE USDA E. COLI O157:H7
FARM-TO-TABLE PROCESS RISK ASSESSMENT
Michael P. Doyle, PhD (Chair), Regents Professor of Food Microbiology
and Director of the Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia,
Griffin, Georgia
Scott Ferson, PhD, Senior Scientist and Vice President, Applied
Biomathematics, Setauket, New York
Dale D. Hancock, DVM, MS, PhD, Professor and Epidemiologist, Field
Disease Investigation Unit, Department of Veterinary Clinical
Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
Myron M. Levine, MD, DTPH, Professor and Director, University of
Maryland School of Medicine, Center for Vaccine Development,
Baltimore, Maryland
Greg Paoli, MASc, President, Decisionalysis Risk Consultants, Inc.,
Ottawa, Ontario
Barbara J. Peterson, PhD, MPH, Principal/Practice Director, Food and
Chemicals Practice, Exponent, Washington, DC
John N. Sofos, PhD, Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado
State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Susan S. Sumner, PhD, Professor, Department Head and Extension
Project Leader, Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
Liaison from the Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Hugh Tilson, MD, DrPH, Clinical Professor of Epidemiology and Health
Policy and Senior Adviser to the Dean, School of Public Health,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Staff
David A. Butler, PhD, Study Director
Allison Yates, PhD, RD, Director, Food and Nutrition Board
Rose Marie Martinez, ScD, Director, Board on Health Promotion and
Disease Prevention
Jennifer A. Cohen, Research Associate
Anna Staton, MPA, Research Assistant
Elizabeth Albrigo, Project Assistant
Rita Gaskins, Division Assistant
Jim Banihashemi, JD, Financial Associate
Melissa French, Financial Associate
Norman Grossblatt, Senior Editor
Staff Consultant
Ricardo Molins, PhD, Senior Staff Officer
v
Reviewers
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for
their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with pro-
cedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose
of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments
that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as
possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for
objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review
comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integ-
rity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individu-
als for their review of this report:
Mindy Brashears, PhD, Texas Tech University
P. Michael Davidson, PhD, University of Tennessee
Colin O. Gill, PhD, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Jimmy T. Keeton, PhD, Texas A&M University
Jørgen Schlundt, DVM, PhD, World Health Organization
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many construc-
tive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the con-
clusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report
before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Stephen L.
Taylor, PhD, University of Nebraska and Ronald W. Estabrook, PhD,
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Appointed
by the NRC, they were responsible for making certain that an indepen-
dent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with insti-
tutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully consid-
ered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with
the authoring committee and the institution.
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Preface
The efforts of the Committee on the Review of the USDA E. coli
O157:H7 Farm-to-Table Process Risk Assessment were supported by the
work and dedication of the project staff and numerous other individuals
who shared their thoughts and expertise with the committee. We could
not have completed our task satisfactorily without the substantial help of
the these individuals.
We are particularly indebted to Wayne Schlosser and Eric Ebel of the
US Department of Agriculture (USDA), who provided detailed informa-
tion on the draft risk assessment and answered the committee’s many
questions. Special thanks are also extended to I. Kaye Wachsmuth, Karen
Hulebak, Carol Maczka, and Kathleen Orloski of USDA, and Anna
Lammerding of Health Canada, for their expert advice and assistance.
Edmund Crouch of Cambridge Environmental Inc. contributed a detailed
examination of the draft model spreadsheet that is reproduced as Appen-
dix D of this report. Randall Huffman of the American Meat Foundation
Institute and Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Pub-
lic Interest provided comments for the committee’s consideration.
We greatly appreciate the guidance and insights offered by our liai-
son from IOM’s Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention,
Hugh Tilson. Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) Chair Cutberto Garza,
and FNB member Robert Smith provided input on report drafts.
David A. Butler, who served as the study director for this project,
worked in concert with Ricardo Molins of FNB to produce this report. The
committee would also like to acknowledge the excellent work of IOM staff
members Jennifer Cohen, Anna Staton, and Elizabeth Albrigo. Thanks are
vii
viii PREFACE
also extended to Melissa French and Jim Banihashemi, who handled the
finances for the project; Norman Grossblatt who provided editorial input;
William McLeod, who conducted database searches; Jennifer Otten, who
supervised the report through the editorial and publication phases;
Bronwyn Schrecker, who shepherded the report through the review pro-
cess; and Rita Gaskins, who provided administrative support to the
project.
Michael P. Doyle, Chair
Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
Background, 1
Organization and Framework, 3
Comments Regarding the Draft Risk Assessment, 4
1 SUMMARY OF THE FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION
SERVICE DRAFT RISK ASSESSMENT 13
Production Module, 14
Slaughter Module, 17
Preparation Module, 22
Hazard Characterization Module, 25
Risk Characterization Module, 26
2 PRODUCTION MODULE 27
Fecal Prevalence as the Sole Output of the Production Module, 28
Defensibility of Prevalence Estimations for Cull Cows and
Feedlot Animals, 30
3 SLAUGHTER MODULE 41
Lack of Data and Difficulties Associated with Data Collection, 42
Sources of Contamination and Cross Contamination During
Slaughter and Fabrication, 44
Levels and Extent of Surface-Area Contamination, 50
Terminology Concerns, 55
Other Observations, 56
Summary Remarks, 58
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