Food authority warns of minced beef E.coli risk

The Food Safety Authority (FSAI) has warned consumers to be vigilant to the presence of the E.coli bacteria in minced beef and beef burgers.

Publishing the results of a year-long survey into the problem, the FSAI said the incidence of the potentially fatal disease in meat is too high.

"It is a concern that this many samples of raw minced meat and beef burgers on sale to consumers are contaminated and the levels pose a serious, ongoing risk to consumers," said FSAI chief executive Dr Patrick Wall.

"The results of this survey show that the only element preventing illness being associated with these products is the diligence shown by consumers cooking the product thoroughly in the home".

The study, carried out on behalf of the FSAI by Teagasc, found that 2.8 per cent of samples of minced beef and beef burgers examined in the survey were contaminated with E.coli 157.

Sometimes, these levels were as high as 10,000 bacteria per gramme of product. It is estimated that the presence of as few as ten bacteria in food could cause serious illness to susceptible people.

Dr Wall said: "At this level of contamination it does not appear that current practices on farms and in abattoirs are having the desired risk-reduction effect and more needs to be done".

Since 1996, the number of reported cases of E.coli 157 in Ireland has steadily risen from eight reported cases in 1996 to 76 cases in 1998, with 41 reported cases in 2000 and 52 in 2001.