Rethinking the burger

Taken from the September 11th edition of The Week Magazine:

People might scoff at spending more for organic groceries, but when it comes to ground beef, it might be smart to fork over a few extra dollars. Consumer Reports researchers tested 300 packages of ground beef—equal to about 1,800 quarter--pounders—from 103 stores in 26 American cities. The results showed that conventionally produced beef, made from cattle that are fed antibiotics and other drugs to boost growth and prevent disease, is twice as likely to contain drug-resistant superbugs as beef raised without drugs or in more sustainable ways, such as grass-fed and organic. The best weapon is a meat thermometer, food safety specialist Urvashi Rangan tells CBS News. The more thoroughly your burger is cooked, the safer it is. With a steak, the bacteria are on the surface; with ground beef, you’re grinding those surface pathogens right in, Rangan says. “You’re really moving all that bacteria all around.” So it’s especially important to cook ground beef to 160 degrees, “to be absolutely safe.”