January 7, 2010

US beef recall sparks tenderisation debate

A multi-state beef recall in the US  has led to renewed focus on mechanical tenderisation as a possible cause of increased E. coli infection in meat products.

The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) recalled 248,000 pounds of mechanically tenderised beef products from Oklahoma-based National Steak and Poultry on December 24 after they were linked to 21 illnesses across 16 states.

Mechanical tenderisation involves inserting hundreds of tiny needles into tougher beef products to physically break up muscle fibres. This process is also used to inject marinades into pork. However, it is alleged that the process could transmit any E. coli bacteria that may be on the surface of meat into its core. In order to ensure the bacteria are eliminated, consumers would need to heat the product to at least 160°F (71°C).

The paths made by the needling process are unnoticeable after the meat is cut. Furthermore, the USDA currently does not require such products to carry labels specifying that they have been mechanically tenderised.

Nonetheless, the recall has led to calls for labeling. Republican Rosa DeLauro said the USDA should move immediately to require labeling that clearly identifies mechanically tenderised beef and pork products for all processing facilities, retailers and consumers.

Consumer groups, including the Safe Food Coalition and the Consumer Federation of America, have also requested mechanically tenderised meat to be labeled in the wake of the current outbreak.

However, the American Meat Institute (AMI) has defended the industry's use of tenderising techniques, stating that tenderised meat is "comparable in safety to steaks that have not been mechanically tenderised".

The AMI added that the safety of tenderised meat has been meticulously tested, including by the FSIS, which said in 2008 that E. coli risk is not significantly increased depending on whether a beef steak is intact or not. Therefore, it does not believe the labeling of the mechanical tenderisation process will provide meaningful information to consumers.

Meanwhile, National Steak and Poultry said on its website that it is cooperating with the USDA to conduct this recall as it takes the safety and wholesomeness of its products very seriously. It added that this is the first recall in the company's nearly 30 years history.