The MSU News Service reported today on research being done at Montana State University. Researchers there have been studying the relationship between a strong immune system in calves and safer meat in the grocery store. The approach is a new one in the fight against E. coli.
Researchers use the cows to examine the contents of their rumen, the largest compartment in their stomachs. Focusing on early nutrition is a different approach from traditional efforts that concentrate on sanitation in packing plants to reduce the rate of E. coli shedding. Experts usually address post-harvest conditions rather than pre-harvest.