Flash in the Pan

Last week, Whole Foods had to recall a whole lot of ground beef because of E. coli contamination. This week, the Washington Post has a story on what happened. The problem, it seems, was that the ground beef was made from cuts of meat that could also have been used for steaks and roasts. USDA restrictions on contamination of such meat are looser because if there is E. coli, it's probably on the outside and going to be destroyed as you cook. But with ground beef, the bacteria get incorporated throughout the mixture, allowing some to keep some distance from the heat, and potentially making people sick.

Coleman, a trusted supplier for Whole Foods and many other retailers, had sold its beef business and the right to sell under the Coleman Natural Meat brand on June 1 to Meyer Angus Natural. Coleman said Meyer hired Nebraska Beef to process its meat. Meyer did not return phone calls.

The E. coli strain that sickened the Whole Foods customers matches a strain found in primal cuts that Nebraska Beef produced on July 8, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As a result, Nebraska Beef on Friday recalled 1.2 million pounds of beef, its second recall this summer.

But so far as I can see, that's not the end of the story for consumers. Have you ever ground your own high-end hamburger, or maybe made some sausage? This story is certainly giving me second thoughts.

After the 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak that killed four children, the USDA declared it illegal to sell ground beef and any beef products intended for use in ground beef that are contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. But consumer advocates and meat inspectors have long criticized the USDA for not enforcing that policy equally when it comes to primal cuts even though they are sometimes used to make ground beef.

The beef industry has argued that steaks and roasts should be treated differently because they are less likely to make people sick.

It's the less likely wording that bothers me. How much of a chance should I and my family have of getting sick to preserve the profits of a corporation? Up until now, I had assumed that all meat would be treated the same. But it isn't, and the processors cannot have any idea of what consumers ultimately might be doing with their purchases. That should be clear on labeling, because clearly there aren't any stores that can be certain of what they have. If labeling is a burden, too bad. Being dangerously sick is even more of one.

Labels: E. coli, food safety, meat