Shunsuke Ikeuchi, Shouhei Hirose, Kohei Shimada, Ayako Koyama, Shoji Ishida, Naoto Katayama, Takehiko Suzuki, Akiko Tokairin, Mayumi Tsukamoto, Yuki Tsue, Kenichi Yamaguchi, Hideo Osako, Sachiko Hiwatashi, Yumi Chiba, Hiroshi Akiyama, Hideki Hayashidani, Yukiko Hara-Kudo
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) is an important foodborne pathogen worldwide. It is necessary to control and prevent STEC contamination on beef carcasses in slaughterhouses because STEC infection is associated with beef consumption. However, the frequencies of STEC contamination of beef carcasses in various slaughterhouses in Japan are not well known. Herein, we investigated the contamination of beef carcasses with STEC in slaughterhouses to assess the potential risks of STEC. In total, 524 gauze samples were collected from the surfaces of beef carcasses at 12 domestic slaughterhouses from November 2020 to February 2023...
March 12, 2024: Journal of Food Protection