Guy Loneragan of Texas Tech University says salmonella can be inside
the lymph nodes of cattle, making it virtually impossible to keep the harmful
bacteria out of hamburger and many other beef products.
Yet David Plunkett of the Center for Science in the Public Interest
continues to lobby for zero tolerance for salmonella in beef, matching the
standard for E. coli 0157:H7.
“In any case, salmonella and lymph nodes is emerging as the biggest
challenge the beef industry has ever faced,” says food safety communications
expert Dr. Doug Powell.
During a panel discussion at MeatExpo ’13, other panelists said that
means the only way to eliminate the bacteria will be to irradiate the meat at
the packing plant.
But others say taking action before the cattle head to the packing
plant is a possibility.
Vaccination is one of those options, they said. Probiotics and chemical
inhibitors were also mentioned.
Al Almanza, who works for the federal government’s Food Safety and
Inspection Service, said what’s needed before any action is more and better
data to properly understand the problem, yet others said if salmonella really
can be inside lymph nodes, more and better data won’t help much.
