CATTLE presented at an abattoir, and beefburgers in Dublin butchers' shops are being screened by scientists for the presence of E.coli 0157 which caused more than 30 deaths in Scotland in recent months.
Major research on the survival and growth of the deadly pathogen which has been responsible for deaths in Scotland, the US and Japan during the past 10 years is being carried out by the National Food Centre in north Co Dublin.
The research, in conjunction with the US Department of Agriculture, is being carried out to set new standards for the processing and cooking of beefburgers.
Dr Declan Bolt on is investigating the survival of E.coli 0157 at all stages of beefburger production from the factory to the fork.
"When we look at all the stages we may find a weak link somewhere in the chain and we will move to correct that by setting up a model to prevent it surviving in food," he said.
He said this might involve changing the procedure where beef for burgers is frozen very quickly to 18 Celsius. The results may indicate that beef should be brought to this temperature much more slowly.
At the other end of the scale, the work may indicate that beefburgers should be cooked in a different way to avoid poisoning.
Dr Bolton said E.coli 0157 was first identified about 30 years ago but it was not until 1982 that it was linked to fatal illness.
He said it occurs in 2-5 per cent of cattle and sheep and has caused illness in people who ate potatoes grown in manure from infected animals.
The largest outbreak of E.coli 0157 was in Japan when some 10,000 people became infected. Scientists there had isolated watercress as the source of the pathogen.
Dr Bolton said his research will be carried out over a three-year, period.