Everyone loves eating a juicy hamburger that’s nice and red on the inside. However, a new study from Consumer Reports warns that eating non-organic ground beef medium rare could leave you very susceptible to several food-related illnesses due to a high concentration of bacteria in the meat.
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Specifically, Consumer Reports notes that more than 13 tons of ground beef got recalled this year after it was found that the meat contained E. coli O157:H7, a bacteria that can lead to “abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and in some cases, life-threatening kidney damage.” The publication notes that ground beef is particularly prone to being affected by harmful bacteria because “bacteria can get on the meat during slaughter or processing.”
So what are the remedies? One is to make sure your burger is cooked all the way through with little-to-no red in the middle. For tips on doing this and still making a burger that’s tasty and not overdone, check out this Consumerist article.
The publication also says you should consider buying grass-fed organic beef, which it found contains less overal bacteria than standard beef. This is more expensive than regular ground beef, of course, and it’s still wise to cook your burgers until their middle reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
To read more about the scary amount of bacteria found in non-organic ground beef, check out Consumer Reports‘ full report here.
