Jan 29 2010
Safe food attorney Bill
Marler has called for the USDA’s Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to label meats that have
undergone mechanical tenderization. The controversial process has been
linked to numerous outbreaks of the dangerous pathogen E.
coli O157:H7, yet there is currently no disclosure required.
“Studies
have shown that the mechanical tenderization process can transfer
contamination into the core of the meat”
“Meats that are considered 'intact' by the FSIS have different E. coli
regulations,” explained Marler. “The assumption is that the E. coli
pathogen, if present, would only be on the outside of the cut, and would
be killed by minimal cooking. However if needles or blades drive those
bacteria into the center of the meat, only thorough cooking of the steak
would make it safe, something few people do. That’s why the FSIS must
take the steps laid out by the Make
Our Food Safe Coalition:
• Issue a press release indicating that the current cooking guidelines
and temperatures for intact beef products are not safe for all beef
products that look intact. [Specifically, that mechanically tenderized
steaks should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, just
like hamburger.]
• Take immediate steps to develop regulation that will require labeling
to clearly identify mechanically tenderized, non-intact beef and pork
products for all processing facilities, retail purchasers and consumers.
• Initiate a FSIS program to assess the effectiveness of public health
messaging, so that effective food safety messages can be delivered to
all food safety stakeholders.”
The most recent E. coli outbreak tied to mechanically tenderized
steaks is National
Steak and Poultry, which recalled 248,000 pounds of tenderized meat
products on Christmas Eve 2009. To date, the CDC
has confirmed 21 people in 16 states infected with the E. coli
strain linked to the product. Marler
Clark has filed an E.
coli lawsuit on behalf of a 14-year-old boy hospitalized by his E.
coli infection from National Steak and Poultry meats.
In March 2003, there were six E. coli illnesses linked to
mechanically tenderized steaks from Stampede
Meat. An August 2004 recall of a similar product by Quantum
foods was linked to E. coli illnesses at Applebee’s in
Colorado. Davis
Creek Meats and Seafood recalled 130,000 pounds of beef products in
May 2007 that were subsequently linked to E. coli illnesses, and
also in 2007, the Fresno
Meat Market outbreak was linked to tenderized, cooked tri-tip
purchased at the store.
In September 2008, a fundraiser for the volunteer fire department in
Forest Ranch, CA was the source of an
E. coli outbreak that sickened 24 people, including a
6-year-old girl who had to be airlifted to US Davis Medical Center in
Sacramento. Health officials pinpointed tenderized tri-tip served at the
event.
“Studies
have shown that the mechanical tenderization process can transfer
contamination into the core of the meat,” continued Marler. “However,
the FSIS only has to look at the human evidence – the growing list of
those sickened by these meats – to realize that change is imperative.”
Source MARLER CLARK