The Off Topic Topic

[Caliga]

In slightly related news, internet Americans recently freaked out over someone falling ill after eating raw ground meat on a bun.

Wonder what the story is there.  They've been doing that in like Wisconsin and Minnesota for years... probably German immigrants started that practice.

[DGuller]

Is there some kind of a special trick to not fall sick from food poisoning when eating that?

[Caliga]

Is there some kind of a special trick to not fall sick from food poisoning when eating that?

Consume with copious amounts of alcohol?

[Sheilbh]

Is there some kind of a special trick to not fall sick from food poisoning when eating that?

Good beef/meat (I have seen raw pork in Italy which was exceptional but depends on very high quality/well looked after animals).

[Admiral Yi]

Refrigeration I would figure.

[Barrister]

Is there some kind of a special trick to not fall sick from food poisoning when eating that?

As I understand it...

Beef itself is fairly safe.  Imagine eating a rare steak - the inside doesn't get warm enough to kill any bacteria, yet you'd be fine doing so.

So if you took an individual steak, made sure that your knife or grinder was sterilized, and ground up that steak you'd be fine to eat it raw.

It's the industrial ground beef where they can't be so 100% perfectly sure about it being sterilized that makes it unsafe to eat - one little dirty bit can contaminate the whole batch when it's all ground together.

[Syt]

Is there some kind of a special trick to not fall sick from food poisoning when eating that?

Good beef/meat (I have seen raw pork in Italy which was exceptional but depends on very high quality/well looked after animals).

This and good quality control both from the butchers and a strong regulatory framework.

In the above example it's usually pork, though. Kind of like a poor man's beef tartar. Basically just ground pork (e.g. shoulder cut) with salt and pepper, plus onions on top.

[Barrister]

Is there some kind of a special trick to not fall sick from food poisoning when eating that?

Good beef/meat (I have seen raw pork in Italy which was exceptional but depends on very high quality/well looked after animals).

This and good quality control both from the butchers and a strong regulatory framework.

In the above example it's usually pork, though. Kind of like a poor man's beef tartar. Basically just ground pork (e.g. shoulder cut) with salt and pepper, plus onions on top.

The powers that be still don't recommend eating raw pork at all.  It can contain the trichinella worm.  The incidence of which in pork has gone down a lot but still can't be ruled out.

[Sheilbh]

The powers that be still don't recommend eating raw pork at all.  It can contain the trichinella worm.  The incidence of which in pork has gone down a lot but still can't be ruled out.

European law mandates lab testing of pork for trichinella (save for some derogations for home farmers in certain countries). Which I think eliminates that risk.

[The Larch]

Steak tartare exists, so eating raw beef must be ok. 

Apparently there's a Japanese dish that involves raw chicken. Now that feels weird...

[Sheilbh]

No one tell Patrice Evra

[DGuller]

Is there some kind of a special trick to not fall sick from food poisoning when eating that?

As I understand it...

Beef itself is fairly safe.  Imagine eating a rare steak - the inside doesn't get warm enough to kill any bacteria, yet you'd be fine doing so.

So if you took an individual steak, made sure that your knife or grinder was sterilized, and ground up that steak you'd be fine to eat it raw.

It's the industrial ground beef where they can't be so 100% perfectly sure about it being sterilized that makes it unsafe to eat - one little dirty bit can contaminate the whole batch when it's all ground together.

My understanding is that the outside of the beef can be contaminated, and even a rate steak has the outside heated up enough to kill whatever is on it.  However, if you grind the steak, you'll be mixing up the potentially contaminated outside with the clean inside.

[Syt]

The powers that be still don't recommend eating raw pork at all.  It can contain the trichinella worm.  The incidence of which in pork has gone down a lot but still can't be ruled out.

European law mandates lab testing of pork for trichinella (save for some derogations for home farmers in certain countries). Which I think eliminates that risk.

This. People falling ill from eating this is basically unheard of.

[The Larch]

The powers that be still don't recommend eating raw pork at all.  It can contain the trichinella worm.  The incidence of which in pork has gone down a lot but still can't be ruled out.

European law mandates lab testing of pork for trichinella (save for some derogations for home farmers in certain countries). Which I think eliminates that risk.

This. People falling ill from eating this is basically unheard of.

Yet pregnant women are still discouraged from eating it even nowadays.

[Caliga]

Steak tartare exists, so eating raw beef must be ok. 

Apparently there's a Japanese dish that involves raw chicken. Now that feels weird...

Are you thinking of laab (I think it's called)?  IIRC it's from Laos.  I guess the Japanese could have their own raw chicken dish too... they certainly enjoy their raw seafood...