Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 1/29/10

Food safety attorney Bill Marler has joined the chorus of those calling for USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service to add special labeling to meats that have undergone mechanical tenderization because the products have been linked to outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7.

In a news release, Marler argued that tenderized meat should not be considered "intact" by FSIS for purposes of E. coli regulation. "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," said Marler. "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 FSIS must take the steps laid out by the Make Our Food Safe Coalition."

The Make Our Food Safe Coalition — comprised of public health and consumer organizations, as well as groups representing the families of victims of foodborne illness — has called for FSIS to do the following:

• Issue a news release indicating that the current cooking guidelines and temperatures for intact beef products are not safe for all beef products that look intact, such as mechanically tenderized steaks, which 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 program to assess the effectiveness of public health messaging, so that effective food safety messages can be delivered to all food safety stakeholders.

Marler, the coalition and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) have all called for such special labeling since the December recall of mechanically tenderized steaks by National Steak and Poultry. 

The American Meat Institute has countered that no special labeling is needed, noting that all steaks in retail stores, whether blade-tenderized or not, must bear safe handling labels instructing consumers how to cook and handle them to ensure they are safe when served. 

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.