The Beef Podcast Show: David Tomas & Dr. Vikrant Dutta: STEC Detection in Beef
In this episode of The Beef Podcast Show, David Tomas and Dr. Vikrant Dutta from bioMérieux explore how regulation, science, and industry challenges intersect in modern beef safety management. From regulation to industry challenges, they explain what PEC, STEC, and E.coli O157:H7 mean for the beef sector—and why it matters. Explore the future of export/import regulations, evolving risks, and the impact of diagnostics to rapidly identify samples containing Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC).
"PEC markers are associated with specific strains and provide a true positive only when the markers are present in the same cell, helping reduce the number of positives in the preliminary screening." - David Tomas
What will you learn:
- Advancements in diagnostics
- Testing accuracy improvements
- Global food safety trends
- STEC challenges
Meet the Guests
David Tomas, Associate Director of Scientific Affairs at bioMérieux, holds a Master’s in Food Science from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. With over 25 years in microbiology and food safety, he has led global projects and contributed to the ISO committee developing reference methods for microbiological analysis.
Dr. Vikrant Dutta holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from North Carolina State University, an M.S. in Poultry Microbiology from the University of Arkansas, and a DVM from Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University. He is Senior Director of Scientific Affairs at bioMérieux, focusing on public health pathogens and diagnostic systems.
