Low levels of STEC found in Swedish beef
Livsmedelsverket (The National Food Agency) analyzed 300 pieces of Swedish beef and only six of the samples contained STEC bacteria.
Collection of samples was done in 2015 by the Statens Veterinärmedicinska Anstalt (National Veterinary Institute).
Sampling findings
The six STEC isolated from beef belong to five different serotypes with only one (O171: H2) present in more than one sample. For full results go here (in Swedish)
Serotype O171:H2 was found in chuck (Hogrev) and stew beef (Grytbitar), O22:H16 in sirloin steak (Ryggbiff), O116:H48 in shredded beef (Strimlat oxkott), O185: H28 in shoulder clod (Notbog) and O91: H14 in part of beef rump (Rostas).
None of the STEC isolates had the combination of genes linked to increased risk of severe disease (stx2 and eae).
Main conclusions
Dr Jakob Ottoson, risk- and benefit assessor and microbiologist at Livsmedelsverket, said the results are important for internal risk management and prioritising communication.
“We expected a higher prevalence of STEC as compared to other EU countries, Sweden has a high prevalence of STEC at the farm level. It is good news, it shows slaughterhouses are doing a good job with their hygiene practices,” he told FoodQualityNews.
“Further, everything is relative, if we look at Salmonella and Campylobacter Sweden is really low, but looking at STEC we’re not best in class.
“E. coli O157 is the most common but more serotypes in clinical samples may be due to improved diagnostics, before we looked for just O157 but now we are looking for more strains.
“In an earlier study there was a higher prevalence of 11% but all samples were from imported beef.
“The main conclusion is Swedish whole meat and beef are not the main transmission route for STEC.”
STEC was found in 11% of imported beef samples, in an earlier study by the Swedish National Food agency.
In analysis of minced meat from other countries levels of 20% were found to contain STEC.
On average there are between 300-400 reported STEC E. coli cases of which close to half are domestic in Sweden each year.
