The steak tartares, the undercooked hamburgers and the bleeding fillets that so many restaurants offer are proof that raw meat is liked a lot. But sometimes this trend in gastronomy could endanger health. The Spanish Agency for Food Safety (AESAN) has explained why this week through an informative pamphlet that it has shared on social networks. These preparations, they warn, can be contaminated with pathogenic microbes such as E. coli.
"It is a bacterium that is part of the normal microbiota of the intestine of people and animals (especially ruminants), and that is eliminated through feces. Although most strains are harmless, some can cause serious food poisoning in humans", points out this organism dependent on the Ministry of Consumption.
Undercooked meat is more prone to contamination because microorganisms only proliferate between 4 and 65 degrees Celsius. That is, it is necessary to cook the food at this temperature to eliminate them, otherwise the risk of contamination does not disappear. The cold of the fridge also stops their growth.
In the case of undercooked minced or chopped meat, there is another added risk: "Unlike whole pieces, minced meat is a product that has been handled and has more access surfaces for microorganisms," says the expert in food and pharmaceutical safety Gemma del Caño in this report.
In addition to E.coli, all kinds of bacteria such as Campylobacter and Salmonella can settle in meat. After ingesting these microorganisms, symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting may be experienced, which may be more serious in population groups at risk, such as children, the elderly, pregnant women and immunosuppressed people.
Faced with these inconveniences, AESAN recommends that when you go out to eat, you ask the establishment to cook the meat well. This is only possible in the case of burgers and steaks, because dishes like tartare or carpaccio only make sense if they are prepared with raw meat.
If we order any of these preparations in a restaurant, we must make sure that it is a place of trust and that it respects basic hygiene rules. In the event that we prepare them at home, it is best to purchase the piece from a good butcher shop and preferably one that is lean, tender and without fat. We must also keep it well protected in the fridge, consume it as soon as possible and handle it with clean kitchen utensils to avoid cross contamination.
