19 July 2022, US: Agricultural Research Service scientists are helping to enhance the abilities of regulatory agencies to trace Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria back to their source during foodborne outbreaks by more specifically identifying E. coli strains through a better understanding of relatedness between human and environmental isolates of the bacteria. This information is part of the latest issue of ARS’ Food and Nutrition Research Briefs.
The latest issue, which reports discoveries from researchers at ARS laboratories nationwide, can be found at: https://www.ars.usda.gov/oc/fnrb/2022/fnrb0722/
Among other findings, the current issue reports:
New details underlying a pattern of seasonal E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks linked to bagged romaine lettuce including that E. coli survived on average 5.6 times better in cold-stored packaged romaine harvested in the fall than on the same varieties harvested in late spring.
An ARS scientist showed that the Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) can be adapted for a dairy-free vegetarian or vegan diet while still meeting nutrient recommendations for non-pregnant and non-lactating healthy adults with one exception: zinc in health adult men..
ARS Food and Nutrition Research Briefs is available on the web. Readers can subscribe, signing up for either of two email options: They can receive the full text of the newsletter by email or simply an advisory when a new issue has been posted online.
