FSIS reported results for Salmonella and STEC sampling in raw pork

The FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) conducted a baseline study from 1 June 2017 through 31 May 2018 to characterize and determine the prevalence of Salmonella and assess the occurrence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in a variety of raw pork products. 4,014 samples from slaughter and processing plants were analyzed for Salmonella, and 1,395samples from slaughterhouses were also analyzed for STEC. FSIS determined that the national prevalence of Salmonella in raw pork products was highest in comminuted products (28.9%), followed by intact cuts (5.3%) and nonintact cuts (3.9%). Less than 1% of the samples analyzed were positive for the top seven STEC. The results indicated that steps in the processing of raw pork into comminuted products allow pathogens to survive or grow despite current pathogen reduction strategies. The data from the study suggest that the presence of aerobic count and E. coli are not correlated with the presence of pathogens. 32.8% of all Salmonella isolates in the study belong to serotypes Anatum, Infantis, and I 4,[5],12:i:−. Most of the antibiotic resistance genes carried by I 4,[5],12:i:− were antibiotics used in the treatment of human infections. The low frequency of the top seven STEC recovered, and the limited epidemiologic evidence that pork-associated infections indicate that this pathogen may not be a significant food safety concern in raw pork. Additional research is needed to understand the full range of STEC serotypes present in raw pork products.@ https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article/83/3/552/426177/Salmonella-and-Shiga-ToxinProducing-Escherichia