The Nation - News from Dec. 30, 1988

The Agriculture Department said it is considering new federal labeling and processing rules to ensure that certain kinds of meat patties, including pre-cooked hamburgers, are safe to eat. Lester M. Crawford, administrator of the department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, said there has been “increasing evidence over the past several years” that disease organisms survive in products that many consumers erroneously believe are fully cooked when bought. The proposal would affect fully cooked, partially cooked and “char-marked” ground meat patties.