July 4th BBQ? Don't Cook to Color, Use A Thermometer for All Ground Beef
As we head into the holiday weekend, we are In the midst of another outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 related to ground beef. Remarkably, despite the prevalence of outbreaks and the severity of the risks involved, the proper messages on handling and preparing ground beef can still prove elusive.
I googled "e coli" this morning. One of the first sites up is this one, called FamilyDoctor.org. In two locations on its fact page on E. coli O157:H7 it suggests that the proper way to achieve or ascertain the safety of ground beef is to check color. (I don't mean to single these folks out, I think the message is common elsewhere, as well.) Here is the relevant text:
How can I catch E. coli infection?
Most E. coli infections come from:
• Eating undercooked ground beef (the inside is pink
And, later on:
How can I keep from getting E. coli infection?
You can help prevent this infection by handling and cooking meat in a safe way. For your protection, follow these rules:
• Cook ground beef until you see no pink anywhere.
The problem is, we learned long ago that color is not a reliable indicator when it comes to ridding ground beef of E. coli O157:H7. Let’s get the better answer from the folks at Washington State University Extension, at their E. coli O157:H7 fact sheet site:
How Can I Safely Prepare Beef?
• Always cook ground beef patties to an internal temperature of 160ºF. When a ground beef patty is cooked to 160ºF throughout, it will be safe and tasty, regardless of color. Color is not a reliable indicator. Use an accurate instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the center of the burger. Ground beef is a perishable product. Use or freeze within one or two days of purchase.
So, this weekend, if you break out the grill and ground beef patties, use a thermometer, and not an unreliable visual inspection, to make sure you and yours stay healthy.
Thought folks might like to know that in addition to the cited WSU Extension fact sheet, we've got a long-running series of podcasts on food safety: http://cahnrsnews.wsu.edu/foodsafety/.