Escherichia coli O157:H7 An enterohemorrhagic strain of E. coli that produces large quantities of toxins that cause severe damage to the lining of the intestine. It is the most commonly identified Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in North America. As a bacterial pathogen, E. coli O157:H7 is capable of causing foodborne infections in humans.

Food Safety Assessment Assessment conducted by FSIS to analyze an establishment’s control of its food safety systems. FSAs assess all aspects of an establishment’s food safety system in accordance with FSIS Directive 5100.1. While performing an FSA, Enforcement, Investigations, and Analysis Officers (EIAOs) assess whether meat and poultry establishments have designed their food safety systems to control, and thereby minimize, the presence of Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocy-togenes.

Foodborne disease Disease caused by the consumption of contaminated foods or beverages. Many different disease-causing pathogens can contaminate foods, resulting in many different foodborne infections. The most commonly recognized foodborne infections are those caused by the bacteria Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and Campylobacter and by a group of viruses known as the Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses.

For-cause FSA As part of FSIS’s new information technology system, a for-cause procedure is generated when a prompt threshold is reached. An inspector