Safe Beef Handling
Welcome to Open Range, I’m Susan Allen. Stay tuned because after the break I’ll check in with our field reporter, Greg Martin for the AgriBeef Minute.
I’m Greg Martin with the Open Range AgriBeef Minute. With summertime cookouts and outdoor picnics it’s a good time to talk about the safe handling of foods whether its on a cookout or at home.
ELLIOT: Our beef producers and processors take a lot of care in producing a safe product and getting that to market and so then it’s up to the consumer to do some basic things at home that prevent any type of food safety issues.
That’s Bridget Elliot, Director of Consumer Information for the Washington State Beef Commission who says temperature is key.
ELLIOT: The to keep safe is keeping your raw foods and your cooked foods at temperatures that are safe and don’t allow bacteria to grow. So when you have a raw product you want to keep it at 40 degrees fahrenheit or below.
If you are like me you might enjoy a steak or a burger bit on the rare side.
ELLIOT: One way to make sure that it’s safe is really to get it up to that temperature of 140 or higher or cooking it at a high heat to make sure that the heat does penetrate into the burger. Proper cooking will prevent any type of opportunity for food borne illness.
If you have any questions about the proper and safe handling of beef products be sure and visit the Washington State Beef Commission’s website. I’m Greg Martin and that’s today’s AgriBeef Minute.
Thanks Greg. Don’t forget Greg will be back each Wednesday with the AgriBeef Minute. Agri Beef Co - Real Families, Great People, Exceptional Beef. I’m Susan Allen.
