In my last few blogs I have talked about a wide range of topics:  bushmeat, glove use, and my favorite raw oysters.  I thought that I would venture out into a different avenue and talk about cooking temperatures, specifically hamburgers.  Since this is a time when everyone is showcasing their grilling skills, most people serve the staple food of hamburgers.  I want to make sure that you keep yourself, family, and friend’s safe by cooking your burgers to the right temperature.

Most people remember the tragic story of Jack in the Box in 1993 and how hundreds of people became sick due to E-coli in burgers which tragically resulted in four children deaths.  So what exactly is E-coli?  E-coli are bacterium that lives naturally in our guts and also the guts of other animals.   We normally associate E-coli with hamburgers because it is often found in beef products, but it can be found in raw milk, fruit and vegetables especially if there is the occurrence of cross-contamination.  If someone were to contract E-coli from eating tainted/contaminated food it can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, but most severe Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aka HUS).  HUS is a severe illness where bloody diarrhea and kidney failure may occur; many that survive HUS become regular visitors of dialysis clinics.

Now that I have scared the E-coli out of you; what can you do to keep yourself safe? 

First, cook hamburgers to an internal temperature of 155ºF.  Many believe if the burger has no pink in it that it is safe; that is far from the truth.  Hamburgers cooked to the proper temperature may have pink in them and burgers that are brown through and through may not have been cooked properly.  So when you cook burgers at home make sure that you use a thermometer to take the temperature of the meat.  Second, make sure that the utensils you use to cook your burgers are only used for the burgers only, you do not want to flip a burger and then take that same utensil and mix barbeque sauce for your ribs.  Finally, when visiting your favorite burger joint, request your burgers well done.  I personally order my burgers medium-well because too many restaurants do not know how to cook a burger well done without taking the life, flavor, and juice out of the burger.  I have found that medium-well burgers normally meet the required cooking temperature for safety.

Remember that you can join me August 28-29 at the Amtrak Community Center for a food safety seminar; after you leave you will be as knowledgeable as your local health inspector.  As usual feel free to ask me any food safety questions and I will be happy to give you an answer.  Happy eating!!!