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By Randy Fabi

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. food safety inspectors are finding a much lower rate of ground beef products tainted with the illness-causing E. coli bacteria than last year, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday.

The USDA attributed the decline to closer scrutiny of U.S. beef plants, which recalled a record amount of meat last year.

"The agency's sampling data suggests that initiatives begun in the past year are beginning to pay dividends," said Garry McKee, administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.



Of the 4,432 beef samples tested in the first 8 months of this year, 0.32% tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, the USDA said. That was down from 0.78% reported for all of 2002.

E. coli 0157:H7, typically contracted through contaminated food or water, can cause bloody diarrhea, vomiting and cramps. The bacterium is destroyed when meat is cooked to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Some consumer advocates were skeptical of USDA's findings.

"Before I believe USDA's conclusions, I would want to look at their numbers ... and make sure that there wasn't any funny business," said Felicia Nestor, food safety director for the Government Accountability Project.

Earlier this year, the USDA found the majority of large U.S. beef plants did not meet federal food safety regulations for preventing E. coli 0157:H7 contamination.

In response, it ordered plants to reassess their food safety systems and add an extra safeguard against the bacteria. The department also ended a program that exempted some beef plants from random testing.

USDA Undersecretary Elsa Murano said the department has reviewed more than 1,000 beef plants and the majority have made "major changes."

"These initiatives have had a positive impact on every facility in America that slaughters or processes beef products," she said.

The USDA said there were 45 meat recalls for the first 8 months of this year, down from 76 recalls in the same period last year.