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Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
. 2017 Jan 1;108(1):e71–e78. doi: 10.17269/CJPH.108.5655

Evidence for the benefits of food chain interventions on E. coli O157:H7/NM prevalence in retail ground beef and human disease incidence: A success story

Frank Pollari 111, Tanya Christidis 111, Katarina D M Pintar 111,✉, Andrea Nesbitt 111, Jeff Farber 211, Marie-Claude Lavoie 311, Alex Gill 311, Penelope Kirsch 411, Roger P Johnson 511
PMCID: PMC6972138  PMID: 31820420

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Human infection with Escherichia coli O157:H7/NM has historically been associated with consumption of undercooked ground beef. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the correlation of the decline in E. coli O157:H7/NM infections in Canada with the introduction of control efforts in ground beef by industry.

METHODS: The human incidence of E. coli O157:H7/NM, prevalence in ground beef and interventions from 1996 to 2014 were analyzed. Pathogen prevalence data were obtained from federal government and industry surveillance and inspection/compliance programs. A survey of the largest ground beef producers in Canada was conducted to identify when interventions were implemented.

RESULTS: The incidence of E. coli O157:H7/NM infections in Canada declined from ≈4 cases/100 000 to ≈1 case/100000 from 2000 to 2010. Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) prevalence in ground beef sold at retail declined from about 30% around the year 2000 to <2% since 2012. Other measures of the prevalence of E. coli, VTEC, and E. coli O157:H7/NM in beef and ground beef also declined. The number and types of interventions implemented in the major beef processing establishments in Canada increased from 1996 to 2016.

CONCLUSION: The observed decline in human illnesses and pathogen levels in relation to retail meats was associated with the introduction of control efforts by industry, federal and provincial/territorial governments, and the general population. Industry-led changes in beef processing along with the introduction of food safety policies, regulations, and public education have led to improved food safety in Canada.

Key Words: Escherichia coli, food safety, beef

Footnotes

Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

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