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REVIEW article

Front. Microbiol.

Sec. Food Microbiology

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1598090

The control strategies for E. coli O157:H7 in food processing at the physical, chemical and biological levels

Provisionally accepted
Zhongxiang  XinZhongxiang Xin1Chenggong  XuChenggong Xu2*Ruishen  YuRuishen Yu2Jiaxin  LiJiaxin Li2Wenjia  DanWenjia Dan2Jiangkun  DaiJiangkun Dai2*
  • 1AFFILIATED HOSPITAL OF SHANDONG SECOND MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, Weifang, China
  • 2Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

In recent years, the infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms have become one of the most prominent public health issues, which seriously endangers people’s lives and leads to significant economic losses. Studies have shown that the Shiga toxin produced by Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) can cause severe diseases, such as hemorrhagic colitis, diarrhea, hemolytic uremic syndrome, etc. For the purpose of improving people’s health level and quality of life, it is quite important and necessary to further deepen the research on the antibacterial methods for pathogenic bacteria. In this work, we mainly summarized the control strategies for E. coli O157:H7 in food processing from the physical, chemical and biological levels, and summarized their own antibacterial mechanisms as well as the advantages and weaknesses. In general, physical methods are effective in eliminating E. coli O157:H7, but some are costly, complex, and may compromise food quality. Chemical methods, such as acidic preservatives and chlorine-based disinfectants, can also pose health risks with long-term and excessive use. In contrast, biological methods, although somewhat expensive, tend to provide safer and more environmentally friendly approaches with effective antimicrobial effects.

Keywords: E. coli O157:H7, control strategies, food processing, infectious diseases, Food safety and health

Received: 22 Mar 2025; Accepted: 09 May 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Xin, Xu, Yu, Li, Dan and Dai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Chenggong Xu, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China
Jiangkun Dai, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.