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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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 INVESTIGATION 
11

Ground Beef Rife With E. Coli Risk

NYT investigation shows industry practices that leave lots to be desired

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(Newser) – A nausea-inducing feature in the New York Times tells you more than you wanted to know about what's actually in commercially produced hamburger, and why it's especially vulnerable, despite FDA regulation and several fatal outbreaks in recent years, to E. coli contamination. The Times follows the case of a 22-year-old dance instructor paralyzed after an infection, finding that a single hamburger could contain beef products from several slaughterhouses on several continents.

Failure to inspect the separate ingredients before they are combined is only the worst of the lapses in the safety system. “Ground beef is not a completely safe product,” says a food safety expert, who notes a backslide in outbreaks after substantial improvements had been made in testing. The USDA, meanwhile, is implementing stricter testing and increasing training for inspectors. "We are not standing still when it comes to E. coli," says one official.

Montgomery, Ala., cows
Montgomery, Ala., cows   (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Auburn cows
Auburn cows   (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
The meat display at South Florida Kosher, a butcher shop in North Miami Beach, Fla. sits partially empty Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008.
The meat display at South Florida Kosher, a butcher shop in North Miami Beach, Fla. sits partially empty Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008.   (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
A customer who did not wish to be identified shops next to a partially empty meat display at South Florida Kosher, a butcher shop in North Miami Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008.
A customer who did not wish to be identified shops next to a partially empty meat display at South Florida Kosher, a butcher shop in North Miami Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008.   (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
A single hamburger could hold beef from various slaughterhouses across several continents, a New York Times report finds.
A single hamburger could hold beef from various slaughterhouses across several continents, a New York Times report finds.   (Photo: Business Wire)
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11 comments
VIEWING:
 
Derni
Oct 4, 09 8:23 AM CDT
OUR SENSE OF SECURITY REGARDING THE FOOD SUPPLY IS AN ILLUSION THAT GETS US THRU THE DAY-LIFE OR UNTIL WE GET HIT WITH A LIFE-THREATENTING BACTERIA OR VIRUS. Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
+5
jagerhans
Oct 4, 09 8:30 AM CDT
trust me, if you crave for burger, or a steak tartare, buy a nice piece of fresh muscle, mince it at home and use it immediately. minced meat from the shops is full of tendons, cartilages, nerves, bones, cancer and crap, you don't know if it still hygienic and is only good for dogs. Reply
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+5
IN RESPONSE:
schmidtkoff
Oct 4, 09 10:48 AM CDT
@jager - i agree. that is the safest way to assure no contamination. i would also trust a quality supermarket to grind it also though. like a harris teeter, publix or wegmans.
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+2
IN RESPONSE:
Antiks
Oct 5, 09 3:38 AM CDT
Ground chuck and a food processor. I don't have one, but I'm getting one soon I think.
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0
IN RESPONSE:
jagerhans
Oct 5, 09 8:38 AM CDT
well actually i'm still using the old crank meat mincer. you know? the time when kitchen tools were just tools ? and all made of metal so they lasted for several lives, and operating them let you waste a few calories.
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