USDA Extends E. Coli Testing Requirements

December 1, 1999

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service is extending testing requirements for generic E. coli to plants that primarily slaughter sheep, goats, horses, ducks and guineas. The final rule includes these products into the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) rule published in 1996.

The rule was published Nov. 29 in the Federal Register and extends E. coli sampling and testing requirements already applied to establishments that slaughter cattle, swine, chickens and turkeys. Those requirements would be applied to sheep, goats, horses, ducks, geese and guineas. Regular microbial testing by slaughter establishments is necessary to verify the adequacy of a plant's process controls for the prevention and removal of fecal contamination and associated bacteria.

FSIS is requiring that sheep, goat and horse establishments be sampled at the same frequency now required for cattle -- one test per 300 carcasses. Duck, geese and guinea plants are to sample at the same frequency required for turkeys -- one test per 3,000 carcasses.

Sheep, goat, horse, duck, geese and guinea plants defined as "very low volume" may use an alternate sampling frequency of at least one sample per week, starting the first full week of operation after June 1 of each year. They must continue sampling at a minimum of once each week that the establishment operates until June 1 of the following year or until 13 samples have been collected, whichever comes first.

The final rule will be effective January 25, 2000.