Hightower Lowdown

Step right up, consumers, and get your special USDA-approved beef with our secret ingredient of E. coli 0157:H7!

Wait. Isn't that the bacteria that lives in cow intestines and cow manure and often contaminates beef at those huge corporate slaughterhouses? A virulent strain of bacteria that causes awful problems for people who eat it--problems like screaming cramps, kidney failure, and death? Also, hasn't there been a big increase this year in E. coli contamination of our country's beef?

Yes, yes, and yes.

And our U.S Agriculture Department is allowing meat companies to market beef that has been found to have E. coli bacteria in it? Yes, again.

It's known as the "E.coli loophole," and it works like this: Giant processing outfits like Tyson and Cargill conduct their own meat-safety tests, and when they find a batch with E. coli toxins, you would assume they'd have to throw it out. Noooo. Instead they're allowed by USDA to toss it in a "cook only" bin-to make pre-cooked hamburger patties, meat loaf, pizza toppings, taco meat, and such. Thus, contaminated meat is turned into a profit center for the industry, so processors are under no pressure to clean up their sloppy, lowcost, rush procedures.

Not to worry, say the industry and the government, for the cooking kills the deadly bacteria. In fact, USDA doesn't even track the amount of beef that goes into the "cook only" category, much less whether it's cooked properly or whether it's sickening consumers.

The E.coli-loophole cover-up stinks. As one disgusted federal inspector put it, "Nobody would buy it if they knew."