The diversity of beef safety: A global reason to strengthen our current systems

- The prevalence of Salmonella and STEC along the farm-to-table continuum of the beef industry is high.
- Multiple opportunities exist for pathogens to enter the beef supply at any point along the chain.
- A more comprehensive and aggressive approach is required to improve food safety and protect public health.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a more integrated and more aggressive system approach to food safety rather than focusing on one segment of the industry, or on one approach as described by or constrained by one set of regulations. We focus on the prevalence and control measures for Salmonella and pathogenic Escherichia coli, particularly, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in live cattle on the farm and in the final raw beef product at retail. We describe the antimicrobial and process control strategies most commonly used during slaughter and processing to prevent and reduce the frequency and concentration of these pathogens in the final product, and we propose points along the food chain where more interventions can be applied to ultimately reduce the prevalence of foodborne pathogens associated with beef and beef products, and to protect public health as well the global food supply.