With grilling season upon us and the Fourth of July holiday next week, most Americans are taking to their outdoor grills. We grill everything from chicken wings to veggies to burgers to steaks. But do you know if you are grilling mechanically tenderized beef? There are several ways of tenderizing meat: marinating, the way you … Read more
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Vantage Foods are recalling some mechanically tenderized steak for possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. This type of steak has been injected with needles or blades to break up connective tissue, or has been injected with a marinade or tenderizer. This action can force pathogenic bacteria from the surface of … Read more
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is unveiling their new labeling and cooking requirements for mechanically tenderized beef. Starting this week, meat processors are required to tell consumers if the steak or roast they are buying has been tenderized with blades or needles. This process can push pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli and … Read more
The USDA has finally finalized labeling requirements for mechanically tenderized beef. That product is pierced with needles or small blades to tenderize, which introduces bacteria into the interior. When the beef is cooked less than well done, people who eat it can get sick because bacteria survive at temperatures less than 160°F. The rule will … Read more
According to Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said last week in a congressional hearing that he may suspend the Uniform Labeling Regulation so that the rule for labeling mechanically tenderized beef (MTB) products can be issued. Mechanically tenderized beef is whole cuts of beef that have been pierced with fine blades or needles … Read more
Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) wrote to Shaun Donovan, director of the Office of Management and Budget this week, urging him to finalize the new USDA rule on mechanically tenderized beef products. There may be a delay implementing this critical rule if it is not finalized by December 31, 2014. Mechanically tenderized beef has been pierced … Read more
The Safe Food Coalition has sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, urging him to finalize the mechanically tenderized beef label and send it to the Office of Management and Budget for final approved. The USDA has delayed finalizing this rule that has been “in process” since 2008. Canada has already mandated a label … Read more
The government of Canada is mandating labeling of mechanically tenderized beef. All MTB products sold in Canada must be clearly labeled as “mechanically tenderized” and include instructions for safe cooking. These products have been tenderized by piercing with needles or blades. This process introduces bacteria into the center of the cut of meat, and means … Read more
The American Meat Institute has commented on FSIS’s proposed new rule to label mechanically tenderized beef, stating that they are opposed to labeling because “the food safety risk associated with mechanically tenderized beef products is very low and does not warrant the proposed labeling.” Consumer Reports states that there have been at least five outbreaks … Read more
Last Friday, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service extended the comment period for its proposed rule requiring labeling for mechanically tenderized beef. Those products are processed with needles or fine blades to break up the meat fibers and make the steak more tender. The rule also applies to beef products that are injected with a … Read more