Minced Meat and Poultry Food Safety

Minced meat including hamburger, pork patties, and minced lamb and minced poultry products such as chicken patties or minced turkey receive more handling than roasts, chops, and other cuts or parts. More handling, especially grinding and mixing, means a greater likelihood of contamination by bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, and E. coli 0157:H7.

E. coli 0157:H7 is a strain of bacteria that has caused numerous outbreaks of food-borne disease. The majority of E. coli outbreaks since 1982 have been linked to undercooked minced beef. This bacteria can survive both refrigeration and freezer storage. Cook your meat thoroughly to 71-74°C to kill any possible bacteria. To destroy any bacteria that might be present, you must cook minced meat or poultry thoroughly.

For added security, use a meat thermometer when cooking meat and poultry. Check minced beef patties with a thermometer to be sure they are cooked to an internal temperature of 71°C. Minced poultry should be cooked to 74°C measured by a meat thermometer which has been inserted into the thickest part of the patty. If a beef patty is not thick enough to check from the top, insert the meat thermometer sideways into the patty.

Recent research has raised concerns regarding the colour of meat to determine doneness. Some minced beef may appear to have lost all pink colour before it actually reaches the recommended 71°C and some minced beef may remain pink at temperatures well above the recommended 71°C. Although a meat thermometer most reliably measures complete cooking, doneness can be judged by several other factors in the absence of a meat thermometer. For example, the colour of cooked juices should have no trace of pink, red, or cloudiness. The colour of cooked meat should be brown in the middle and the texture of cooked meat should have a firm or flaky texture.

• Raw meat has a soft mushy texture, regardless of colour.
• Keep minced meat and poultry in the refrigerator or freezer and use it within one or two days.
• To prevent minced beef from premature browning, it should be tightly wrapped and frozen, or stored for no more than two days at 0°C.
• The purple-brown colour that sometimes develops in minced beef is due to oxidation, which does not affect the safety of the meat. For best quality, frozen raw meats should be used within 3-4 months.
• Defrost frozen minced meats in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.
• If microwave defrosting, cook immediately.
• Keep everything clean - hands, utensils, counters, cutting boards and sinks to avoid cross contamination.
• Don't let raw meat or poultry juices touch ready-to-eat foods either in the refrigerator or during preparation.
• And remember, always refrigerate leftovers immediately or throw them away.