Aust meat is 'safe' despite US E.coli scare, govt insists

25/05/2012 - Australian authorities insist all meat produced locally is safe, despite a contamination scare in the United States.

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Two processing facilities in the US voluntarily recalled almost 3100 kilograms of ground Australian beef after inspectors detected E.coli bacteria, local media outlets said.

The federal Department of Agricultural, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) confirmed on Thursday it had been contacted by US authorities and "Australian beef had been implicated in the detection".

"Discussions are ongoing with all parties concerned while confirmation of the source of the contamination is being progressed," the department said.

It's not clear how it became contaminated because the meat was subject to a US testing program before export.

It also met US import requirements and was cleared by US border authorities, DAFF said, noting that contamination could occur at any part of the supply chain.

"All meat produced in Australia for export and domestic consumption remains safe," it added.

Source: AAP

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