Escherichia coli belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family
and is used as a faecal indicator to assess the hygiene
status of a food product. Escherichia coli are killed by the
heat processes used in food production and should be
readily removed from the factory, equipment and surfaces
by appropriate cleaning procedures. Occasional strains are
pathogenic; these are rarely found in ready-to-eat foods
although not all can be recovered by currently available
detection laboratory methods. Specialist methods to
detect pathogenic strains are required when illness
is suspected.