Fasting Cattle May Make Hamburgers Safer

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of many bacterial causes of foodborne illness. About 73,000 people report being infected with this bacterium and 61 deaths occur in the United States each year due to this bacterium. Infection often leads to bloody diarrhea, and occasionally to kidney failure. Most infections with this bacteria have been associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef.

As a result many researchers are studying how cattle are colonized by Escherichia coli O157:H7. Escherichia coli O157:H7 lives in the intestines of cattle for short periods of time. Studies have not been able to show where exactly this bacterium lives when in the animal's intestines. So few organisms are present in the cattle it makes it very difficult to detect. Unfortunately, even though it is a short term inhabitant it can take several weeks to months before this organism is eliminated from cattle. If the animal is destroyed for meat production while it is still eliminating this organism Escherichia coli O157:H7 can contaminate the surface of the meat. When hamburger is made the meat is ground up thus mixing the bacteria on the surface meat all throughout the hamburger. That is why it is very important to completely cook your hamburgers.

A recent study in Infection and Immunity by Bernadene A. Magnuson et. al. (July 2000, p. 3808-3814, Vol. 68) has demonstrated that by changing cattle feeding patterns they can eliminate this bacteria from the cow's intestine much more rapidly than control animals. They found that if they kept food and water from the animal for 24 hours and then started feeding them again as before that they could eliminate Escherichia coli O157:H7 from nearly all the cattle they studied in 2-3 weeks time.

The researchers determined that the cells that line the intestines of the cattle will suddenly start replacing themselves after a time of fasting. This rapid replacement of these cells they believe may have something to do with the more rapid elimination of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from the animal's intestines. Unfortunately, this was a small study with only 8 animals in the experimental (fasting) and control groups. More studies with larger numbers of animals need to be done to really see if this method will work.

If this simple approach does work it could be very easily implemented. Withholding food and water from cattle is not uncommon. During shipping cattle are not fed nor watered for 24 hours with no ill effects. It is also a very inexpensive way to eliminate Escherichia coli O157:H7 from these animals. This could prove to be a cost-effective and simple way of making our meat safer.

In the mean time, make sure you cook ALL your hamburger until

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