USDA to Start Sampling Bench Trim for E.coli

USDA meat inspectors will start sampling “bench trim”, meat scraps left over from the production of steaks and roasts, for E. coli O157:H7.

In the past, sampling has been on ground beef, and FSIS has not routinely tested bench trim.

The new policy comes as a 13-year-old New Mexico victim is suing JBS Swift & Co. after allegedly contracting hemolytic uremic syndrome from a contaminated shish-kabob.

The new produce draft guidance “are the FDA’s first step toward setting enforceable standards for produce safety,” according to the joint USDA-FDA statement.