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E. Coli O157:H7 of special concern. This strain of E. coli can colonize the the animals' intestines. This can lead to the bacterium contaminating the muscle meat at slaughter. This strain of E. coil can produce potent toxins in large quantities. It can cause severe damage to the lining of the intestines. A disease caused by this coli is called Hemoorhagic colitis. This E. coli has the capacity to survive both refrigeration and freezing temperatures.

(Billings, Mont.) – Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, at a news conference Thursday in Washington, D.C., announced that it has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to get permission to voluntarily test all of its cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). “R-CALF USA supports Creekstone in this effort because voluntary testing for BSE likely would help reopen and maintain certain export markets for U.S. beef, which in turn, would certainly benefit the thousands of independent cattle producers this organization represents,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard. “The U.S. economy is based on free enterprise, and Creekstone is...

ARKANSAS CITY - While government regulators try to reassure domestic consumers and international customers the U.S. meat supply is safe, a fledgling Kansas meatpacker is willing to prove it. Its survival might depend on it. Creekstone Farms Premium Beef is one of the nation's smallest meatpacking companies. But it has set off a firestorm at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and within the cattle industry by seeking permission from regulators to privately test all the animals processed at its Arkansas City slaughterhouse for mad cow disease. At a time when most of the world has banned imports of American beef...