Last night's episode of Larry King Live featured a panel discussion about E. coli contamination from burgers and whether eating burgers (or any meat) is healthy, following the recent New York Times feature on E. coli-afflicted Stephanie Smith. Guests include Bill Marler, an expert on foodborne illness litigation; Barbara Kowalcyk, director of food safety at the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention; Patrick Boyle, president and CEO of the American Meat Institute; and chef Anthony Bourdain. You can read a summary of the discussion on CNN.com. Watch the video after the jump.
'Should Americans Banish the Burger?' on 'Larry King Live'
Do what they already with MREs and astronaut's food, sterilize it with iradiation. Then you could have a rare burger at McDonalds! McDonalds used to offer a steak sandwich in the 1970s that was an oval burger cooked rare to medium rare.
To quote the CDC:
Treating raw meat and poultry with irradiation at the slaughter plant could eliminate bacteria commonly found raw meat and raw poultry, such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. These organisms currently cause millions of infections and thousands of hospitalizations in the United States every year. Raw meat irradiation could also eliminate Toxoplasma organisms, which can be responsible for severe eye and congenital infections. Irradiating prepared ready-to-eat meats like hot dogs and deli meats, could eliminate the risk of Listeria from such foods. Irradiation could also eliminate bacteria like Shigella and Salmonella from fresh produce. The potential benefit is also great for those dry foods that might be stored for long times and transported over great distances, such as spices and grains. Animal feeds are often contaminated with bacteria like Salmonella. Irradiation of animal feeds could prevent the spread of Salmonella and other pathogens to livestock through feeds.
I have to agree with AB and say it isn't the meat it's the manufacturer. All meats must go through processes before they hit your kitchen table and if it isn't sanitary obviously there are going to be problems!
I'm not going to go on a meat bash here; I love meat and think it has its risks like any other food.
You can get ill from lettuce, tomatoes, onions, potatoes and other vegetables so how is not eating meat making you safer!
You'd have to BAN everything or just not eat at all! I must say though after watching the Larry King video, I probably wouldn't eat meat again either but at the same time.
We need to focus on eliminating the E.Coli at the processing and production periods!
Also, I know a lot of folks like their burgers rare or medium but to me, this is asking for trouble too. If you get sick eating a rare burger, it's your fault because it is stressed to make sure your meat is cooked through. You just never know these days so that's just another piece of advice.
You can't see e coli with the naked eye. Grinding your own meat does not guarantee that e coli is not present. Anyone one who tells you grinding your own meat eliminates e coli is ignorant or lying. Grass fed minimizes e coli, but does not fully eliminate it. Irradiation is the closest thing to a silver bullet that we have and consumers are afraid of it.
There is more to worry about than e coli, salmonella, Staph and listeria come to mind as the basics. Ground meats have never been 100% safe. Be smart, cook to 160 degrees F using a meat thermometer. If you want it juicy add more fat. If you cook it improperly you are endangering yourself, your family or anyone you are serving. Cooking is the problem, you need to cook to kill.
Let me try the elitist attitude from the other side, ESNY.
I'd rather eat a flavorful, juicy, safe burger than an undercooked pile of mush. At that point, you might as well just stick a spoon in a package of ground beef.
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8 Comments:
I agree with Anthony Bourdain, the problem is not the hamburger, but with the processing. Grind your own!
jojoprice at 5:23PM on 10/13/09
Do what they already with MREs and astronaut's food, sterilize it with iradiation. Then you could have a rare burger at McDonalds! McDonalds used to offer a steak sandwich in the 1970s that was an oval burger cooked rare to medium rare.
To quote the CDC:
Treating raw meat and poultry with irradiation at the slaughter plant could eliminate bacteria commonly found raw meat and raw poultry, such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. These organisms currently cause millions of infections and thousands of hospitalizations in the United States every year. Raw meat irradiation could also eliminate Toxoplasma organisms, which can be responsible for severe eye and congenital infections. Irradiating prepared ready-to-eat meats like hot dogs and deli meats, could eliminate the risk of Listeria from such foods. Irradiation could also eliminate bacteria like Shigella and Salmonella from fresh produce. The potential benefit is also great for those dry foods that might be stored for long times and transported over great distances, such as spices and grains. Animal feeds are often contaminated with bacteria like Salmonella. Irradiation of animal feeds could prevent the spread of Salmonella and other pathogens to livestock through feeds.
peekpoke at 5:31PM on 10/13/09
I have to agree with AB and say it isn't the meat it's the manufacturer. All meats must go through processes before they hit your kitchen table and if it isn't sanitary obviously there are going to be problems!
I'm not going to go on a meat bash here; I love meat and think it has its risks like any other food.
You can get ill from lettuce, tomatoes, onions, potatoes and other vegetables so how is not eating meat making you safer!
You'd have to BAN everything or just not eat at all! I must say though after watching the Larry King video, I probably wouldn't eat meat again either but at the same time.
We need to focus on eliminating the E.Coli at the processing and production periods!
jlewfoodie at 9:19PM on 10/13/09
Also, I know a lot of folks like their burgers rare or medium but to me, this is asking for trouble too. If you get sick eating a rare burger, it's your fault because it is stressed to make sure your meat is cooked through. You just never know these days so that's just another piece of advice.
jlewfoodie at 9:25PM on 10/13/09
You can't see e coli with the naked eye. Grinding your own meat does not guarantee that e coli is not present. Anyone one who tells you grinding your own meat eliminates e coli is ignorant or lying. Grass fed minimizes e coli, but does not fully eliminate it. Irradiation is the closest thing to a silver bullet that we have and consumers are afraid of it.
There is more to worry about than e coli, salmonella, Staph and listeria come to mind as the basics. Ground meats have never been 100% safe. Be smart, cook to 160 degrees F using a meat thermometer. If you want it juicy add more fat. If you cook it improperly you are endangering yourself, your family or anyone you are serving. Cooking is the problem, you need to cook to kill.
Meat guy at 9:14AM on 10/14/09
I'd rather endanger myself than eat a burger cooked to 160 degrees. At that point, you might as well just make a meatloaf sandwich.
ESNY1077 at 10:24AM on 10/14/09
Let me try the elitist attitude from the other side, ESNY.
I'd rather eat a flavorful, juicy, safe burger than an undercooked pile of mush. At that point, you might as well just stick a spoon in a package of ground beef.
ratbuddy at 10:56AM on 10/14/09
Yeah, I might get hit by a car or the Taliban might fly a plane into my head too.
Medium-rare please.
Big B at 10:23AM on 10/15/09