5 replies to this topic

[LARRYK]

Team,

Just concluded  my surveillance audit and my auditor had issues with our kitchen serving rare beef (55- 60 degrees).  is there  any validation or citation that supports that? i showed him my lab analysis results  done over the year but  said that was not convincing.

any help?

Thank you .

[GMO]

This isn't quite the academic paper you need but here's advice from the NHS saying rare beef is fine as long as the outside is cooked.  This is because the outside is more likely to be contaminated with coliforms from the evisceration process but within the muscle this is less likely.

 

http://www.nhs.uk/Li...Pages/meat.aspx

 

I'd just have a search online for some scholarly articles.

[Scampi]

perhaps this link will also help, from USDA

https://foodsafety.w...NewCookTemp.pdf

 

Assuming your speaking of whole muscle cuts and not ground beef?

 

I myself like my steak blue rare, but the grill or pan needs to be screaming hot to kill the surface bacteria. Ground MUST be cooked to 160F or higher as the surface bacteria have been spread throughout the entirety

[GMO]

perhaps this link will also help, from USDA

https://foodsafety.w...NewCookTemp.pdf

 

Assuming your speaking of whole muscle cuts and not ground beef?

 

I myself like my steak blue rare, but the grill or pan needs to be screaming hot to kill the surface bacteria. Ground MUST be cooked to 160F or higher as the surface bacteria have been spread throughout the entirety

 

A lot of restaurants in the UK are starting to serve burgers medium.  I completely agree with your assessment though and I worry about their ability to do it safely.  The Food Standards Agency are trying to come up with methods to ensure this is safe.  An Environmental Health Officer told me recently that they are tending towards heat treating the outside before cutting back the surface and mincing.  Personally I don't know why they don't insist on freezing; coliforms are not able to survive being frozen; that said the death isn't instant and so they may feel controlling freezing for however long it takes to kill them off is a harder task but my gut feel (if you excuse the pun) is I never like the idea of heating something up then cooling it before heating it later as surface heat treatment of the muscle would achieve.  It also doesn't take into account post process contamination risks whereas with freezing you could make the mince, even make into patties and then freeze.

[Scampi]

In Ontario Canada, if the restaurant grinds the meat themselves, it can be cooked to order (not many left of these) and if it comes in ground, it has to be well done.

I don't like the idea of heat treating anything, the cancer societies will tell you that the heat causes the meat to change on the molecular level thus turning portions into carcinogens....can't win for losing 

[GMO]

In Ontario Canada, if the restaurant grinds the meat themselves, it can be cooked to order (not many left of these) and if it comes in ground, it has to be well done.

I don't like the idea of heat treating anything, the cancer societies will tell you that the heat causes the meat to change on the molecular level thus turning portions into carcinogens....can't win for losing 

 

Interesting because there's nothing to stop contamination of beef ground on site?  Not sure why that's acceptable?  True on carcinogens but the same changes happen with maillard reactions anywhere including heating to cook (e.g. grilling).  Perhaps we're all just better as vegetarians!  No hang on, raw food enthusiasts??!