Ground Beef, Hamburgers and E. Coli

NY Times has a scary article on the dangers of ground beef and burgers.  A 22 year old lady had a severe form of food-borne illness caused by E. coli, officials traced to the hamburger that her mother had grilled for their Sunday dinner in early fall 2007.  In the end, she was left paralyzed. This is a rare occurrence but the article raises several facts that we all should be aware of.

“a single portion of hamburger meat is often an amalgam of various grades of meat from different parts of cows and even from different slaughterhouses… there is no federal requirement for grinders to test their ingredients for the pathogen.”

“Using a combination of sources — a practice followed by most large producers of fresh and packaged hamburger — allowed Cargill to spend about 25 percent less than it would have for cuts of whole meat.”

“Those low-grade ingredients are cut from areas of the cow that are more likely to have had contact with feces, which carries E. coli, industry research shows”

“Unwritten agreements between some companies appear to stand in the way of ingredient testing. Many big slaughterhouses will sell only to grinders who agree not to test their shipments for E. coli, according to officials at two large grinding companies.”

“Food scientists have registered increasing concern about the virulence of this pathogen since only a few stray cells can make someone sick, and they warn that federal guidance to cook meat thoroughly and to wash up afterward is not sufficient.”

“The largest ingredient was beef trimmings known as “50/50” — half fat, half meat — that cost about 60 cents a pound, making them the cheapest component.”

“Although the safety instructions on the package were followed, E. coli remained on the cutting board even after it was washed with soap. A towel picked up large amounts of bacteria from the meat.”

Examine your cutting board, looking for groove marks when your cutting board is worn, it becomes more difficult to remove all contaminants from it. Consider replacing it or buying a glass cutting board.

Many people think they should rinse meat before cooking, but the latest food safety guidelines do not recommend this. Running water can spray bacteria and other contaminants from the meat all over the sink and counter top. Bacteria will be destroyed during cooking.

“Dr. James Marsden, a meat safety expert at Kansas State University and senior science adviser for the North American Meat Processors Association, said the Department of Agriculture needed to issue better guidance on avoiding cross-contamination, like urging people to use bleach to sterilize cutting boards“

Costco is on the cutting edge of pushing for more testing. They are one of the few large grinders to test ingredients for the pathogens as they arrive at its plant. Costco recently reached an agreement with Tyson to do more testing.

Is organic ground beef any safer?  This package again stated that the meat was from several sources. A recent E. Coli outbreak in organic meat means that organic beef is not any safer.

It is probably safer having your local the butcher grind up some chuck than buying this pre-packaged meat.  Make sure you observe USDA meat handling guidelines.

Feel like having a burger tonight?

Sodium is another culprit, at least burgers have less sodium than hot dogs.

Related posts:

1. Chicken Safety, Turkey Safety – Salmonella, Campylobacter bacteria
2. Food Inc. – Food Industry Commercialization
3. New rules for Organic Meat and Milk
4. Meat with Drugs
5. Healthy Food Options to Avoid Harmful Chemicals
6. BPA in Canned and Packaged Foods
7. Certified Organic Foods and Their Meaning
8. BBQ Grill Food Safety

Posted on September 30th, 2011
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