Get Rid of E. Coli in Ground Beef

Intralytix announced last week that its phage-based food safety product, EcoShield™, effective in eliminating or significantly reducing E. coli O157:H7, is now available in commercial quantities.

In February of this year, Intralytix obtained FDA clearance of EcoShield in the form of a “Food Contact Notification” or FCN, specific for its use on red meat parts and trim intended to be ground. The FDA has designated the FCN clearance for this phage-based product as FCN No. 1018. Data submitted as part of Intralytix’s FCN application showed that EcoShield reduces E. coli O157:H7 in ground meat by more than 95%.

In June of this year, the FSIS issued its “no objection” letter allowing the use of EcoShield when applied to red meat parts and trim that will be ground, thus completing the regulatory approval process. Both the FDA and the FSIS will treat EcoShield as a processing aid when applied in this manner, thus not requiring labeling of treated ground red meat.

EcoShield is an all-natural product. It does not contain known allergenic substances (wheat, milk, soy, etc.) and it does not alter the general composition, taste, aroma, or color of foods. The product is designated as Kosher and Halal. EcoShield is non-corrosive to processing equipment, requires no or low upfront investment in machinery, and is cost-competitive when compared to alternative technologies.

For more information, contact Dr. Alexander Sulakvelidze, Chief Science Officer, at asulakvelidze@intralytix.com or 410-625-2533 or Mary Davies, Director of Information, at mdavies@intralytix.com or 877-489-7427.

Miss Phage hopes you like our new look here at Food safety Solutions. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave a message here.