As of Monday, the USDA begins testing ground beef for six additional strains of E. coli. If the meat is contaminated, it will not be allowed to be sold and could be subject to a recall.
There are more than 700 different strains of E. coli. Most are harmless but some can cause serious problems by attacking the intestinal tract.
This testing is an initiative by the Presidents Food Safety Working Group. The goal is to prevent food-borne illnesses by enforcing more testing and improving the way food is handled.