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Consumer Reports finds fecal contamination in ground beef | abc7.com
By Denise Dador
Monday, August 24, 2015 05:36PM
CHICAGO (KABC) --
That hamburger you're grilling could contain harmful bacteria, and unless you cook it thoroughly, it could make you sick.
New lab tests conducted by Consumer Reports found that of the 300 packages of ground beef purchased in stores across the country, almost all contained bacteria that signified fecal contamination.
More than 40 percent contained Staphylococcus aureus. Almost 20 percent contained Clostridium perfringens, which causes nearly 1 million cases of food poisoning annually, many related to beef.
A significant amount also contained superbugs, bacteria that are resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics. A key reason is the overuse of antibiotics on cattle farms.
"That practice can lead to the creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a major public health problem. If you get sick from these bugs, your infection can be difficult to treat," said Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., director of Food Safety and Sustainability at Consumer Reports.
But the tests revealed some good news. Ground beef from cows that are grass-fed and raised without antibiotics were three times less likely to have superbug bacteria.
"This study is significant, because it's among the largest scientific studies to show that sustainable methods of raising cattle can produce cleaner and safer ground beef," Rangan said.
When shopping for ground beef, Consumer Reports recommends choosing ground beef labeled as "no antibiotics," "grass-fed," or "organic."
Even better is "organic and grass-fed" beef, which in their tests was less likely to contain bacteria and superbugs. That beef also comes from animals raised in more humane conditions.
Consumer Reports finds sustainably raised beef is becoming more widely available. Besides natural food stores, like Whole Foods, you can now find it in many mainstream supermarkets.
Consumer Reports contacted the National Cattleman's Beef Association and got this comment: "If all cattle were grass-fed, we'd have less beef, and it would be less affordable. Since grass doesn't grow on pasture year-round in many parts of the country, feed lots evolved to make the most efficient use of land, water, fuel, labor and feed," Kansas State University professor Mike Apley said.
Apley is a veterinarian, professor at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and chair of the Antibiotic Resistance Working Group at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
No matter what beef you buy, Consumer Reports says cooking to 160 degrees Fahrenheit is the safest temperature for your meat so that the bacteria is killed.
You can find Consumer Reports' complete investigation and complete review of all the labels on ground beef on consumerreports.org.
By Denise Dador
Monday, August 24, 2015 05:36PM
CHICAGO (KABC) --
That hamburger you're grilling could contain harmful bacteria, and unless you cook it thoroughly, it could make you sick.
New lab tests conducted by Consumer Reports found that of the 300 packages of ground beef purchased in stores across the country, almost all contained bacteria that signified fecal contamination.
More than 40 percent contained Staphylococcus aureus. Almost 20 percent contained Clostridium perfringens, which causes nearly 1 million cases of food poisoning annually, many related to beef.
A significant amount also contained superbugs, bacteria that are resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics. A key reason is the overuse of antibiotics on cattle farms.
"That practice can lead to the creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a major public health problem. If you get sick from these bugs, your infection can be difficult to treat," said Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., director of Food Safety and Sustainability at Consumer Reports.
But the tests revealed some good news. Ground beef from cows that are grass-fed and raised without antibiotics were three times less likely to have superbug bacteria.
"This study is significant, because it's among the largest scientific studies to show that sustainable methods of raising cattle can produce cleaner and safer ground beef," Rangan said.
When shopping for ground beef, Consumer Reports recommends choosing ground beef labeled as "no antibiotics," "grass-fed," or "organic."
Even better is "organic and grass-fed" beef, which in their tests was less likely to contain bacteria and superbugs. That beef also comes from animals raised in more humane conditions.
Consumer Reports finds sustainably raised beef is becoming more widely available. Besides natural food stores, like Whole Foods, you can now find it in many mainstream supermarkets.
Consumer Reports contacted the National Cattleman's Beef Association and got this comment: "If all cattle were grass-fed, we'd have less beef, and it would be less affordable. Since grass doesn't grow on pasture year-round in many parts of the country, feed lots evolved to make the most efficient use of land, water, fuel, labor and feed," Kansas State University professor Mike Apley said.
Apley is a veterinarian, professor at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and chair of the Antibiotic Resistance Working Group at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
No matter what beef you buy, Consumer Reports says cooking to 160 degrees Fahrenheit is the safest temperature for your meat so that the bacteria is killed.
You can find Consumer Reports' complete investigation and complete review of all the labels on ground beef on consumerreports.org.
Its about human tape worms... argghh...
