A Natural Intervention – the Reduction of Fecal Contamination of Ground Beef by the Use of Natural Bacteriocins

<p>This research was conducted to investigate the theory that the natural flora of ground beef hinders or even is lethal to the growth and survival of E. coli O157:H7. The complex idea of bacterial competition or the production of natural antibacterial substances by the natural flora found in ground beef is possibly a deciding factor in the low percentage rate of E. coli O157:H7 found in retail ground beef supplies. To investigate these theories, the natural Enterobacteriaceae of raw ground beef were screened for inhibitory activity and the ability to produce antimicrobial substances.</p>