All 300 samples of raw ground beef examined by researchers from Consumer Reports magazine, whether from conventionally or sustainably raised cattle, “contained bacteria that signified fecal contamination.” Twenty percent carried a bacteria that can cause food poisoning. In an article for its October issue, the magazine “recommends that you buy sustainably raised beef whenever possible,” with grass-fed organic beef as its preference. And it reminded consumers to cook ground beef to at least 160 degrees to kill pathogens.
Consumer Reports purchased 300 packages of ground beef from 103 grocery, big-box or natural-food stores in 26 cities nationwide. It tested for the presence of five common types of bacteria, and whether the bacteria were resistant to the types of antibiotics used in treating humans. While all the samples contained bacteria, “beef from conventionally raised cows was more likely to have bacteria overall as well as bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics than beef from sustainably raised cows,” the magazine said.
One percent of the samples tested contained salmonella. The USDA reported a similar level in its tests at processing plants in the first three months of this year.
The North American Meat Institute said the Consumer Reports piece “confirms that pathogenic bacteria is rarely found in meat. The bacteria identified in the Consumer Reports testing are types that rarely cause foodborne illness.” Three of the five types of the bacteria tracked by the magazine “are not considered pathogenic bacteria,” it said.
“Any bacteria, antibiotic resistant or not, are killed when cooked to the recommended temperature” of 160 degrees, said NAMI.
Americans are forecast by the USDA to consume 84.5 billion pounds of beef, pork and poultry this year, about 30 percent of it beef. Half of the beef purchased at retail is ground beef, says Consumer Reports.