Ongoing Improvements to Meat and Poultry Safety
By Dr. Eric Wilhelmsen The meat and poultry industries are an interesting mix of conservative practices and innovation. A handful of large players control the bulk of production; yet, numerous small players find their niches. Beef is king. Poultry might be queen, but pork seafood are serious sectors in their own right. The rise of […]
Novel Continuous and Manual Sampling Methods for Beef Trim Microbiological Testing
By Dr. Terrance M. Arthur and Dr. Tommy L. Wheeler A sampling method that represents a greater proportion of the beef trimmings in a 900-kg combo bin should improve the current pathogen sampling and detection programs used by fresh beef processors. This study compared two novel, nondestructive sampling methodologies (a continuous sampling device [CSD] and […]
The Apparent Evolution of Sampling for Food Safety
By Dr. Eric Wilhelmsen Sampling and related testing is often in the spotlight when pathogens cause illness in most any food product. Inadequate sampling with testing is often identified as the cause of the illness when in fact testing does not mitigate food safety problems. Sampling and testing together are an assessment tool that can […]
Validation of Additional Approaches and Applications for Using the Continuous and Manual Sampling Devices for Raw Beef Trim
By Dr. Terrance M. Arthur and Dr. Tommy L. Wheeler In this work, the goal was to determine the efficacy of MicroTally®-based sampling in scenarios commonly encountered in the commercial beef processing industry, but outside of the parameters evaluated during the initial proof-of-concept work. The data were derived from 1,650 matched samples collected from 540 individual combo […]
Use of a Non-Destructive Surface Sampling Device to Sample Domestic Beef Manufacturing Trimmings and Bench Trim
On February 1, 2023, FSIS intends to stop using the N60 excision sampling method to sample domestic beef manufacturing trimmings and bench trim for adulterant Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) (STEC) and Salmonella. FSIS intends to replace the N60 excision sampling method with a non-destructive surface sampling method that uses a cloth manual sampling […]
FREMONTA Corp. & USDA-ARS Scientists
Win the 2020 USDA-ARS Technology Transfer Award The Technology Transfer Award is presented to USDA-ARS Employees and collaborators who have accomplished outstanding work in the process of transferring federally developed technology to the private sector for commercialization and practical use. Congratulations to Dr.Wheeler, Dr. Arthur, Dr. Wu and Mr. Hoffmann for receiving this prestigious award […]
IAFP Poster: E. coli from Beef Trim using Surface Swabs
See the IAFP Poster on Recovery of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 by the Bax® System in Beef Trim using Surface Sampling Swabs.
USDA/ARS Food Scientists Win FLC 2019 Excellence in Technology Transfer Award for Work on MicroTally®
The Federal Laboratory Consortium awarded Dr. Tommy Wheeler and Dr. Terry Arthur for their work on developing new sampling technology for detecting pathogens in beef trim. FREMONTA is proud to be working with Dr. Wheeler and Dr. Arthur to bring this new technology to the industry through the MicroTally™ Sampling Devices!
USDA Meat Animal Research and FREMONTA Corp. Renew CRADA in 2018
The USDA Agricultural Research Service and FREMONTA Corp. signed a renewed and updated Cooperative Research and Developmental Agreement (CRADA). The four major objectives of the new expanded CRADA are: (1) To establish the ability of…
MicroTally® Swab Valid for Salmonella and E. coli Detection Using GENE-UP Analysis
A matrix extension verification was conducted to demonstrate fit-for-purpose application of MicroTally™ Swabs for the detection of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157:H7. The findings provide laboratories and the beef industry with confidence that the results of MicroTally™ sampling in conjunction with GENE-UP analysis are valid.