| Cooks Need Heat To Kill E.Coli - September 29, 2001 Manitoba beef offers great taste,
said Manitoba Agriculture and Food's Nancy Brommell, but those who cook ground meat must
make sure it gets enough heat.
"The reason this is so important, of course, is that heat kills the E.coli
bacteria which causes hamburger disease. While pink is perfectly safe in steak or roast,
pink in ground meat indicates it hasn't had enough heat."
While it is important to check to see if ground meat is grey and that juices are
running clear, that is not enough. Visual checks will not guarantee that a hamburger has
reached a high enough temperature to kill any E.coli bacteria that may be present in the
raw meat.
"We recommend you get in the habit of using an instant read meat thermometer to
ensure that each one of your burgers reaches a piping hot internal temperature of 160
degrees Fahrenheit," said the St. Pierre based home economist.
"If you do that," she concluded, "you'll never have to guess whether
your delicious Manitoba meat is safely cooked."
Contact: Nancy Brommell |
