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Issue Number: Council I 005

Title

Consumer Advisory for pinned/injected/tenderized meats: Food Code 3-603.11

Issue you would like the Conference to consider

The current consumer advisory requirement in Section 3-603.11 do not clearly communicate to the consumer that consumption of raw or undercooked meats which have been tenderized may increase there risk of foodborne illness. This is particularly relevant for beef steaks. Consumers are not generally aware that mechanical tenderization steak should be cooked to a higher temperature than whole-muscle intact beef steak to achieve the same degree of safety.

Public Health Significance

The increased use of mechanically tenderized meats by food establishments is a growing food safety concern. Undercooked meats and beef steak in particularly must be cooked to higher temperatures to achieve the same degree of safety as whole-muscle intact cuts of meat. Consumers who consume tenderized steaks cooked rare or medium rare are not generally aware of this increased risk. A recent foodborne illness has been traced to the consumption of tenderized steaks which were cooked rare or medium rare.

Recommended Solution: The Conference recommends...

that a letter be sent to FDA requesting that additional language be added to 3-603.11 (B) [1] and 3-603.11 (C) [3] to read as follows:

· 3-603.11 (B) [1] A description of the animal-derived FOODS, such as "oysters on the half shell (raw oysters)" " raw-EGG Caesar salad," "hamburger (can be cooked to order)" and "mechanically tenderized meats (pinned or injected);" or

· 3-603.11 (C) [2] Consuming raw or undercooked Meats, Poultry, seafood, shellfish, eggs or tenderized meats (pinned or injected) may increase your risk of foodborne illness; or

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