The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has increased its efforts to fight against E. coli 0157:H7 with a number of initiatives including expanding testing and more rapid recalls.

U. S. Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard A. Raymond, said:

“We want the American consumer to know that FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) has taken a number of aggressive actions to respond to a recent increase in E. coli O157:H7 recalls and illnesses associated with this pathogen and we are further expanding these efforts.”

He also stated that there is a higher incidence of E coli bacteria in tests on beef and also a large number of illnesses related to the bacteria than in the previous years. They have therefore announced new actions to minimize chances to get infected with E coli bacteria.

“Since January there have been 15 recalls related to E coli in beef this year, eight of those have been associated with human illnesses. In comparison, in 2006 there were only eight related recalls and none of those were related to human illnesses and in 2005 there were only five E coli related recalls. So obviously something has changed.”

The agency said that they will make sure that together with suppliers and processors, they will be able to discover whatever seems to be the problem and also to prevent contaminated beef from entering to market.

The most recently recalled products are 10- and 20-pound boxes of beef with the brand names Wespak B.R. and JNS Foods.

The frozen beef products, produced Sept. 14-27, were intended for a Florida correctional institute and a distributor in St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the USDA said. The USDA classified the recall as “Class I,” which means there is a reasonable probability that consuming the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. Last month, the parents of a Pembroke Pines teenager sued Wal-Mart, claiming their daughter nearly died after contracting an E. coli infection from frozen hamburger patties purchased at a local store. The company that produced those patties, New Jersey-based Topps Meat Co., later went out of business.