Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is applauding the USDA’s proposal to label mechanically tenderized meat. Beef that is pierced with needles or blades to break up fibers and make the meat more tender is a health risk because bacteria on the surface of the meat is forced into the interior. Then when the meat is … Read more
Mechanically tenderized beef should be labeled so that consumers can prepare it safely, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said today. The agency is proposing new requirements for mechanically tenderized beef that would include labels with cooking instructions. Mechanical tenderization is a way to increase tenderness by piercing cuts of … Read more
In its June 2013 issue, Consumer Reports is tackling the issue of mechanically tenderized beef and E. coli illnesses. Food Poisoning Bulletin has told you about this issue before. Mechanically tenderized beef, which is a cut of beef that has been pierced with blades or needles to tenderize it, has been responsible for at least … Read more
The Office of Inspector General of the USDA recently reviewed FSIS testing of boxed beef that is processed into ground beef or mechanically-tenderized steaks to see if the processes are adequate and used effectively to determine the sources of E. coli contamination. They found that FSIS needs to re-evaluate its methodology, since all boxed beef … Read more
Whenever you order a steak in a restaurant, you are asked how you would like it cooked. I always order mine medium. But first I ask the server if the steak has been mechanically or blade tenderized. A new study in the March 2013 issue of Journal of Food Protection confirms what we have been … Read more
An outbreak of E. coli associated with the Longhorn Steakhouse in Cincinnati Ohio has prompted some questions about eating at restaurants. While the source of this outbreak was most likely leafy greens, E. coli outbreaks are usually associated with improperly handled or inadequately cooked meat. Whenever I’m at a restaurant, I always ask some questions … Read more
Health Canada has started reviewing the food safety of mechanically tenderized beef. Food Poisoning Bulletin has told you about this issue before. There is currently an E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak in Canada linked to mechanically tenderized steaks produced by the embattled XL Foods facility in Alberta. Mechanically tenderized beef has been pierced with needles or … Read more
What it your steak had some work done? What if it went under the knife or the needle to become more tender? A steak that’s been mechanically tenderized, will still look like a steak and taste like a steak, but it needs to get cooked like a hamburger so it won’t make you sick. The … Read more