UNL Receives $25 Million Grant to Reduce E. coli in Beef

LINCOLN, Neb.The University of Nebraska-Lincoln received a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop ways to reduce the occurrence of E. coli strains throughout the beef production chain. The research will focus on the seven most dangerous strains of E. coli, plus a new strain that made its first widespread appearance in an outbreak in Europe in 2011.

The project targets Shiga-toxin producing E. coli, or STEC, which cause more than 265,000 illnesses in the United States annually. UNL will lead a team of 48 scientists from 11 land-grant universities and other partner institutions to conduct integrated research, education and extension projects on eight types of STEC. Studies will include STEC, E. coli O157:H7, along with seven strains that are not as well understood, partly because outbreaks due to these strains are rarely identified. UNL and Kansas State University will conduct most of the research, education and extension work for this project.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli are a serious threat to our food supply and public health, causing more than 265,000 infections each year," said Chavonda Jacobs-Young, acting director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture at USDA. As non-O157 STEC bacteria have emerged and evolved, so too must our regulatory policies to protect the public health and ensure the safety of our food supply. This research will help us to understand how these pathogens travel throughout the beef production process and how outbreaks occur, enabling us to find ways to prevent illness and improve the safety of our nations food supply."

The phase of the research will be to develop diagnostic techniques to determine the presence of STEC in cattle, both pre- and post-harvest. The research team also will study the biological and epidemiological factors that drive STEC-caused illnesses; develop intervention techniques to reduce STEC risks from cattle, hides, carcasses and beef and devise ways to implement these interventions for all sizes of beef producers; develop a risk analysis model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of mitigation strategies; and communicate findings to stakeholders, food-safety professionals, regulators, educators and consumers so they can implement efforts to lower STEC exposure..

Commenting on the grant, UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman, said: This research has enormous ramifications here in Nebraska and across the nation. Beef is big business in the state, and the industry prides itself on delivering a safe product to consumers. This project will help ensure the safety of beef products, through the research conducted at participating institutions, the transfer of this knowledge to collaborators in the beef industry and educational programs for consumers."