January 29, 2008

 

Study finds DDGS use may raise E.coli levels

 

 

US scientists probe into a surge of beef recalls with distiller's dried grain with solubles (DDGS) as the culprit, since recent studies indicate that feeding cattle with DDGS can increase levels of the deadly E. coli bacteria.

 

The findings from two US universities prompted the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to put 300 cattle on a DDGS diet and regularly check the cows for the E. coli bacteria. Results of the test will be available later this year.

 

The surge of ethanol production also triggered DDGS output to increase exponentially. Approximately one-third of the corn that goes into an ethanol plant is turned into DDGS.

 

As use of corn rises, cost of grain for livestock feed also plummeted. However, the impact was offset with the availability of cheaper DDGS. Livestock producers in turn provide a valuable revenue to ethanol plants.

 

Kevin Carstensen, who operates a cattle feeding operation in Iowa and an investor of a local ethanol plant, said that being able to utilize DDGS gives cattle breeders extreme advantage.

 

However, the country has seen a massive beef recall last year with 33.4 million pounds of beef suspected for

E. coli contamination. It was an enormous increase from 2006 which had about 181,900 pounds recalled by meatpackers. The previous record, the USDA said, was in 1997 with 25.6 million pounds recalled.

 

USDA said that the 21 recalls last year was the most the country has seen since 2002.

 

Richard Raymond, the USDA undersecretary for food safety, said he thinks distillers grains are some of several factors behind the spike in recalls.

 

Raymond said the government has no intention at this time to restrict the use of distiller's grains even if the

E. coli link is confirmed, and would instead leave it to the industry to decide how to address the issue. One possibility he is looking on is to vaccinate the cattle.

 

Healthy cattle carry E. coli bacteria in their intestines. The bacteria are typically not harmful to the animals but can be deadly to people, especially to children and the elderly, who eat undercooked ground beef.