USDA Awards $5.5 Million for Research of E. coli O157:H7 in Fresh Produce
Prompted by a number of E. coli outbreaks involving spinach and lettuce, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide nearly $5.5 million to support collaborative research to identify risk factors and preventive measures for E. coli O157:H7 contamination in fresh produce.
"This research will help producers identify the sources of E. coli O157:H7 and ways to avoid contamination," Johanns said. "Developing new research and prevention tactics for the grower will contribute to assuring produce safety for consumers."
USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSRES) are providing the funding to ARS researcher Rob Mandrell and his collaborators at the University of California to continue their research in the Central Valley of California. Over the next three years ARS will contribute $5 million and CSREES will contribute $470,999.
Mandrell will address where E. coli O157:H7 originates, how it survives on the plant, and what factors lead to an increase in produce-related outbreaks. Potential risk factors include animals, land practices, packing and processing processes, and wildlife.
Additionally, the project will feature workshops and publications to educate the animal operators, natural resource managers, and the public about the following:
- Animal diseases that can be transferred to humans
- How animal waste can contaminate water sources
- Beneficial management practices for maintaining and improving water runoff quality