October 19, 2009

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand plans to introduce an E. coli eradication act, in a bid to improve food safety, particularly ground beef.

The legislation would require all facilities manufacturing ground beef to test their product regularly before it is ground and again before it is combined with other beef or ingredients.

If ground beef is found to be contaminated, the company must dispose of the batch or cook it to a temperature that kills the E. coli.

Penalties for companies that do not implement the additional testing mechanisms in processing plants will also be included in the legislation.

The bill will be introduced in coming days, according to Gillibrand's office.

This announcement follows a report in the New York Times outlining the shortcomings of the nation's system for inspecting ground beef for E. coli.