Ate Tiny Bit of Undercooked Ground Beef

Nutrient Safety Focus (167th Consequence, June 2020) – Incident in Focus

Eating Undercooked Beef Burger or Steak Can Cause Food Poisoning

Reported by Ms. Melva CHEN, Scientific Officeholder,
Chance Communication Department, Eye for Food Safe

Effigy 1: Consumers are brash not to eat undercooked beef burger or steak to avoid nutrient poisoning.

Over the past few years, there has been a trend for gourmet-style burger restaurants in Hong Kong. Some consumers may prefer the taste and mouthfeel of rare or medium burger patties to those of their well-done counterparts. However, they may not be aware that undercooked burger patties can impose risks of food poisoning.

How Would You Like Your Beef Burger Cooked?

Burger patties should e'er be cooked well-done regardless of the quality, source and price of the meat. When meat is minced to produce burger patties, harmful bacteria such equally Salmonella or pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) from the raw meat's surface are mixed throughout the whole slice. Unless the burger patty is cooked right through, these bacteria can remain alive on the inside. Therefore, basis beef should be cooked until the internal temperature reaches at least 75°C or until browned throughout with the juice running clear.

Infection of Pathogenic E. coli from Undercooked Beef Burger Tin can be Fatal

The abdominal tracts of cattle is the main reservoir of pathogenic E. coli bacteria. 1 of the serotypes, E. coli O157:H7, may crusade astute renal failure, particular in young children and the elderly. In 1993, East. coli O157:H7, linked to contaminated hamburgers from the Jack in the Box chain restaurants, infected hundreds of people in the U.s.a.. The majority of the victims were under 10 years one-time. 4 children died and some victims were left with permanent kidney harm.

Despite the difficult-earned lesson from the in a higher place incident, outbreaks associated with undercooked ground beefiness all the same occurred from time to fourth dimension worldwide. In 2019, footing beef contaminated with another strain of pathogenic E. coli sickened over 200 people in the Usa. In Hong Kong, there were as well sporadic cases of Due east. coli O157:H7 infection linked to minced beef congee reported in the past.

Undercooked Steak Should Also be Avoided

Some people consider that steak tin be simply seared on the outside and not cooked in the middle, because they think that bacterial contamination is commonly limited to the surface alone. Risk still exists nevertheless when consuming undercooked steak: all undercooked meat including steak may comport bacteria, and some bacteria may even bear antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR results in reduced efficacy of antibiotics, which results in more complicated infections that are difficult to care for. Consumers, peculiarly young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system, are brash to eat thoroughly cooked steak (i.eastward. internal temperature reaching 75°C).

Many restaurants, especially the western-mode ones, often permit consumers choose the doneness of their steaks. There are nonetheless prerequisites should the steak be not cooked in full. For case, the steak to be served undercooked must be an intact meat that is not injected, mechanically tenderised or reconstructed, besides being stored and handled according to strict hygiene practices. That said, overseas nutrient safety authorities do not recommend eating undercooked meat. The United kingdom Food Standards Agency, the US Department of Agriculture, the New Southward Wales Food Authority of Australia and Wellness Canada consider internal temperature reaching 63°C with a iii-minute residuum time is the minimum cooking requirement for intact beef or steak.

Provide Consumer Advice for Undercooked Meat

Restaurants that serve undercooked steaks are encouraged to provide consumer advice on their menus to inform consumers of the potential take a chance. The following is an example of consumer advice that restaurants can provide, whereas information technology applies to raw/undercooked high-risk nutrient of all sorts:

"Consuming raw or undercooked foods may increase the chance of foodborne illness, especially for meaning women, infants, young children, the elderly and people with weakened amnesty."

Central Points to Notation

1. Raw and undercooked meat may behave harmful leaner including AMR leaner.
2. When meat is minced, harmful bacteria from the surface of the raw meat are mixed throughout the whole piece.
3. Thorough cooking of meat including burger patties and steaks can reduce the risks of nutrient poisoning and acquiring bacteria with AMR.

Advice to Consumers

• No matter eating at home or dining out, burgers and other ground meat products should be thoroughly cooked until browned throughout with the juice running clear.
• If a restaurant serves you an undercooked burger, transport it dorsum to be thoroughly cooked until it is rubber to consume.
• Consumers, especially susceptible populations, are brash not to consume undercooked steak.

Advice to the Trade

• Burger patties and other footing meat products should exist thoroughly cooked to reach an internal temperature of at to the lowest degree 75°C earlier being served.
• Provide advice for loftier-risk foods on the menus if the steak tin be cooked co-ordinate to consumers' preferences.

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Source: https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/multimedia/multimedia_pub/multimedia_pub_fsf_167_01.html

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