Pathogen contamination in meat has a very significant economic impact on the meat industry and a serious health impact for the public. Current testing protocols involve culture of material from meat products with serological or molecular confirmation. Since there continues to be recalls of beef after the product has been moved to the retail or food service market and illnesses continues to be reported, the efficacy of current sampling plans remains an issue. This project will adapt an existing automated molecular testing platform for rapid detection of pathogenic E. coli that requires minimal capital equipment, can be used in the abattoir by existing staff during one work shift, and provides results in under an hour using automated data analysis software. It avoids a need for specially trained staff or involvement of a third-party laboratory. This will reduce the time and cost required for identification of pathogenic bacteria during meat processing and in meat products. These outputs will help safeguard consumer health and enhance food safety systems.