USDA to Give $5.5 Million to Study Origin of E. Coli in Produce

Jenny Albano

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The USDA has announced that they will be giving $5.5 million to study E. coli in produce. Officials from the agency want to make sure the deadly bacteria stays out of food.

The money is being given to a California institute that will study the origin of E. coli 0157:H7, which is a bacteria that can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and some life threatening complications such as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome.

"This research will help producers identify the sources of E. coli 0157:H7 and ways to avoid contamination," stated Mike Johanns, the Agriculture Secretary.

The Centers for Disease Control identified 17,252 laboratory-confirmed cases of food poisoning in 2006 using a surveillance tool that studies 10 states, or about 15 percent of the U.S. population.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.