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Health and Safety Tips |
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| Ground Meat and Food Poisoning |
Food poisoning generally refers to illnesses caused by eating food contaminated with microorganisms (bacteria, parasites, viruses). America loves its burgers, but ground meat, whether beef or poultry, presents certain health hazards.
During the summer of 1997 over 25 million pounds of ground beef had to be destroyed after an E. coli outbreak. The culprit was a bacterium called Escherichia coli (E. coli) 0157:H7. E. coli causes damage to the lining of the intestine often resulting in severe, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Usually little or no fever is present, and the illness lasts about one week. Children younger than age five and the elderly are particularly vulnerable, because the infection can also cause a life-threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), in which the red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys fail.
E. coli 0157:H7 is found in the intestinal tract and feces of both animals and man. It can be transmitted in various ways: animal to animal, animal to person, animal to person on food, and person to person through close contact. E. coli outbreaks also have been traced to undercooked roast beef, raw milk, improperly processed cider, contaminated water and mayonnaise, and vegetables grown in cow manure.
Consumers can protect themselves with sensible food storage and cooking habits. That means COOL IT, CLEAN UP and COOK IT. See Standards 4.029 through 4.068 in Caring For Our Children National Health and Safety Performance Standards: Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs Second Edition, especially Standard 4.052 Precautions for Safe Food Supply
COOL IT! Raw ground Meat and ground poultry are more perishable than most foods -- bacteria can multiply rapidly in ground meat and poultry in a temperature range between 40 and 140° . Keep these products cold ( in a refrigerator or on ice if you're more than an hour from the grocery store. Defrost frozen ground meats in the refrigerator - never at room temperature) and use (cook or freeze) within 1 to 2 days.
CLEAN IT! Wash your hands, utensils, counters, cutting boards, sponges, dish towels, aprons, and sinks in hot soapy water after handling raw meat.
COOK IT! Proper cooking techniques -- high heat kills harmful bacteria. Cook that burger thoroughly -- no pink and 165° F.
For more information about the safe handling and preparation of ground meat and ground poultry, call USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline toll-free at: 1-800-535-4555 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST, M-F or contact your local Cooperative Extension Service Office.
Check on your food safety knowledge. For an interactive quiz http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/895_kitchen.html
1. CDC Fact Sheet, 8/15/97 "Escherichia cold (E.coli) 0157:H7, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DHHS. Online http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/escherichiacoli_g.htm
2. "A Consumer Guide to Safe Handling and Preparation of Ground Meat and Ground Poultry", Food Marketing Institute and American Meat Institute in cooperation with National Live Stock & Meat Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Extension Service, and Food and Drug Administration, 216196. http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/meat.html
3. National Agricultural Library, Food and Nutrition Information Center http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/
4. American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care. Caring For Our Children National Health and Safety Performance Standards: Guidelines For Out-of-Home Child Care Programs Second Edition, 2002