Beef
recall is no need for alarm if proper food safety techniques
are followed
by
Katie Maupin, posted Oct. 19, 2007
On
Oct. 6., Cargill Meat Solutions recalled approximately 845,000
pounds of frozen beef patties that could be contaminated with
E. coli. This followed the Topps Meat Company recall, which
was announced on Sept. 25 and recalled 22 million pounds of
beef. This instance caused 29 cases of illness.
There has been an unusually large number of E. coli cases
this summer, said Richard Raymond, under food secretary for
the Food Safety and Inspection Service, in a news story by
the Brownfield Network. This seems to have experts baffled,
as there is really no reason for the sudden outbreak.
E. coli is naturally present in the intestinal tract of cattle
and finds its way into meat through improper sanitation and
processing, said Azlin Mustapha, MU associate professor of
food science. Ground beef is especially vulnerable to such
contamination because it comes from different parts of the
animal and is blended together; therefore, one contaminated
piece will expose the whole batch.
Everybody plays an important role in food safety, according
to Dawn Thurnau, marketing director of the Missouri Beef Industry
Council. Consumers are a part of the food handling system,
and they should always follow the food handling, cooking and
storage steps that are essential to prevent foodborne illness,
she said.
Illnesses due to E. coli could be avoided with proper cooking
techniques, Mustapha said. You should cook hamburger until
it is at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit and the juices run clear.
Also, avoid cross contaminating your food by using the same
utensils for both raw and cooked meat.
“Just
use common sense,” Mustapha said.
Although
foodborne illnesses can be avoided with proper food handling
techniques, both the government and beef producers are constantly
striving to ensure the safety and quality of beef products.
“All
beef is subject to strict government oversight, and everyone
who plays a role in the production chain are committed to
producing safe beef products,” Thurnau said.
According
to her, beef producers alone have raised $25 million to invest
in beef safety research since 1993, and since 2000, the number
of E. coli incidences had declined by 70 percent.
For further
information on beef safety practices, Thurnau suggests visiting the Beef Industry Food Safety Council Web site.
