Which bacteria on beef can cause foodborne illness?
Escherichia coli can colonize the intestines of animals, which could contaminate muscle meat at slaughter. These organisms do not normally cause any harm. However, there are rare strains such as E. coli O157:H7, which produces large quantities of a potent toxin that forms in and causes severe damage to the lining of the intestine. The resulting disease is called Haemorrhagic Colitis and is characterized by bloody diarrhoea. E. coli O157:H7 is easily destroyed by thorough cooking. Salmonella may be found occasionally in the intestinal tracts of livestock, poultry, dogs, cats, and many other animals. At slaughter the meat may become contaminated and thus refrigeration is needed to prevent multiplication. Freezing doesn’t kill this microorganism, but thorough cooking destroys it. Cross-contamination can occur if raw meat and/or its juices are in contact with cooked food or foods that will be eaten raw, such as salad. Salmonella causes gastroenteritis, i.e. diarrhoea. Staphylococcus aureus
