Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Frozen Retained Product Using a Greatly Increased Sample Size

<p>A study was conducted to determine if existing on-line sampling methods were sufficient to detect E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef and if a more aggressive sampling (larger sampling units) would increase the chance of detecting the pathogen in frozen patties. The study also determined whether genetic screening technologies were better for detecting the pathogen than standard testing procedures and if non-pathogenic indicator organisms could be used to predict pathogen contamination.</p>