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Over five million* Brits are at risk of food
poisoning from pink burgers at bank holiday
barbecues, according to research released, National
Burger Day, by the FSA.
The research reveals
that despite 71% of people stating that they are
concerned about food poisoning, over a third (36%)
of Brits would eat a burger that isn’t fully cooked
through. More than one in 10 said that they actually
prefer burgers cooked this way. When cooking them at
home 81% of those admit to undercooking them. So we
at the FSA are encouraging all those who are getting
their barbecues out this weekend to ensure they cook
their burgers all the way through – until steaming
hot throughout, there's no pink meat in the middle
and the juices run clear. Even those who wouldn’t
usually choose a rare burger could still get ill
this weekend, with one in four admitting that they
would eat one if it was given to them – don’t let
your guests be put in that predicament.
Steve Wearne, Director
of Policy at the FSA, said: 'It’s important that
people realise that burgers are not like steak.
Harmful bacteria can be carried on the surface of
cuts of meat. When a rare steak is seared these
bacteria are killed, but burger meat is minced so
bacteria from the surface of the raw meat gets mixed
all the way through the burger. These bacteria can
remain alive on the inside, unless the burger is
fully cooked through, no matter how good quality and
expensive the meat.'
While most people know
that undercooked chicken and pork can cause illness,
many wrongly believe that all red meats are safe.
Nearly a third (32%) of all Britons incorrectly
believe that eating a rare burger is the same as a
rare steak when it comes to food poisoning risk.
To help us burger loving
Brits enjoy our BBQs, the Agency has teamed up with
British rugby legend and MasterChef winner Phil
Vickery to raise awareness about best burger
practice.
For more information on
food safety and advice about cooking burgers at
home, visit food.gov.uk/burgers
* 86% of those surveyed
reported that they eat burgers (55,556,000 based on
a total UK population of 64,600,000 according to the
Office for National Statistics). 12% of these stated
that they prefer eat them rare (6,666,720), with 81%
making rare burgers at home (5,400,043).
For more information
Food Standards Agency
Consumer understanding of
food risk: rare burgers
Link...
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