8 in '08: Here's a capsule look at eight likely to capture beef-industry interest in the new year

摘要

For much of 2007, consumer and political concerns over beef safety, particularly E. coli O157:H7, had nearly been crossed off the list of industry issues. Then came the Topps recall, making E. coli and the beef industry once again the top food safetynews story. While Topps was an unusual case, in that the company ignored its own hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) program and carried over raw material from one day to the next, it put even more pressure on USDA, and therefore on beef processors, to ratchet up their food-safety efforts. That effort will continue in 2008. But USDA will use a more sensitive E. coli test beginning this year, meaning it's likely that federal inspectors will find more positive cases.