U.S. Issues Alert on Burger Safety
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said consumers should use a thermometer to cook hamburger because new research shows the color of meat is not a reliable gauge of doneness. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said that to destroy harmful bacteria, ground beef must be cooked to 160 degrees F. Hundreds were sickened and four children died in 1993 as a result of contamination by a type of E. coli bacteria found in fast-food restaurant hamburgers. New research shows some ground meat may turn prematurely brown before hitting the safe cooking temperature.