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12.10.2020 - Foods
BfR: STEC/VTEC in Flour
According to a statement from the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) from January of this year, STEC/VTEC were repeatedly detected in flour samples (wheat, spelt, rye) by food monitoring in 2018 (STEC and VTEC are technically identical: STEC = Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, VTEC = Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli).
E. coli indicate fecal contamination in foods and can be transferred to the environment and to animal and plant-based foods through feces.
Infections with STEC/VTEC can cause gastrointestinal complaints up to bloody diarrhea with fever. Further complications and diseases such as the HUS syndrome (hemolytic-uremic syndrome), which destroys blood cells and impairs kidney function, can also occur.
STEC/VTEC are killed through boiling, frying, and braising at a temperature of at least 70°C for at least 2 minutes. In dry flour products, STEC/VTEC are not killed at 70°C; they are also resistant to acid, cold, or drying. If flour is mixed with eggs, milk, or water to form a dough, STEC/VTEC can be killed at core temperatures of 70°C for at least 2 minutes.
According to the BfR, the consumption of raw cookie dough repeatedly plays a role in the observed infections with STEC/VTEC and can plausibly serve as a source of infection. Raw cookie dough is considered a trendy food and is marketed for raw consumption. The BfR therefore suggests including the product group "ready-to-use doughs" in national monitoring programs and/or zoonosis programs.
More information on Escherichia coli and STEC/VTEC can also be found in our BAV profiles and here.
In our laboratory, we regularly conduct examinations for Escherichia coli, STEC/VTEC, and other pathogenic microorganisms. We provide you with quick and reliable results.
For inquiries, our customer service representatives are happy to assist you.
Sources:
Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) – https://www.bfr.bund.de
Link to BfR Opinion No. 004/2020: Escherichia coli in Flour-Sources -Risks and Prevention