Cooking Tips for Safe Ground BeefWhy Is It safer to eat a Rare steak than a Rare Hamburger?Because ground beef can turn brown before disease-causing bacteria are killed, color is not a reliable indicator of the temperature of the meat. Use a meat thermometer to check the ground beef has reached the target temperature. ► Cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the patty, meatloaf, or other ground beef dish reads at least 160ºF. Reducing Risks From Ground Beef When eating out► In restaurants, send back undercooked ground beef for more cooking. Be especially careful with food that will be consumed by people who may be more susceptible to foodborne illness, for example children or the elderly.► Be aware that bacteria from undercooked ground beef could have contaminated other foods on the plate -- and even the plate itself.Reducing Risks From Ground Beef at Home► Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods.► Wash hands, counters, and utensils with hot soapy water after they touch raw ground beef. ► Wash meat thermometers between rounds of testing the temperature of ground beef being cooked. When a steak is seared, the bacteria on its surface are killed. Because the interior of the beef is sealed away from contact with bacteria in the air, environment, or cooking equipment, harmful bacteria should not be present in the center. That means that even though the center of the meat remains rare, it is probably safe to eat.A hamburger, on the other hand, contains meat that has been ground. Any bacteria on the meat used to make the hamburger are mixed throughout the patty during processing. Unless the burger is cooked to at least 160ºF throughout, it can still contain illness-causing bacteria.Why is it safer to eat a rare steak than a rare hamburger?This fact sheet is based on the National Research Council report An Evaluation of the Food Safety Requirements of the Federal Purchase Ground Beef Program (2010). The report was sponsored by the Agricultural Marketing Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has established food safety standards for the ground beef it purchases for the National School Lunch Program, food banks, and other federal food and nutrition programs. This National Research Council report reviews the scientific basis for these standards, finding that although basing the safety specifications on scientific concepts would strengthen the purchase requirements, proper cooking is the key to ensuring that ground beef is safe to eat.The National Research Council provides a public service by working outside the framework of government to ensure independent advice on matters of science, technology, and medicine. It enlists committees of the nation’s top scientists, engineers, and other experts, all of whom volunteer their time to study specific concerns. The results of these deliberations are authoritative, peer-reviewed reports that have inspired some of the nation’s most significant efforts to improve the health, education, and welfare of the population. For more information, contact the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources
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