AMI, NCBA team up on research. (Food Safety).

* The AMI Foundation and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association are working together on a follow-up research study to learn more about ways to reduce the incidence of E. coli O157:H7.

The original study, conducted at Texas Tech University, revealed that feeding cattle a diet of Lactobacillus acidophilus, the bacteria commonly used to make yogurt, reduced the incidence of E. coli by 50 percent. The follow-up study, titled "Reduction of E. coli O157:H7 in Beef Feedlot Cattle Using Varying Doses of Direct-Fed Microbial," will evaluate the effects of three different doses of the Lactobacillus acidophilus strain NPC 747 in the feces and on the hides of cattle throughout the feeding period.

The American Meat Institute voted to provide funding for half of the project's expenses. The beef checkoff will fund the other half.

"This research project marks a milestone in industry collaboration on research to find a solution to ongoing challenges in eliminating E. coli O157:H7," says AMI Foundation President Jim Hodges. "We hope this leads to additional collaboration on promising new technologies."

Researchers from Texas Tech University and West Texas A&M University will conduct the study.