If you haven’t hopped on the organic craze yet, this might push you over the edge.
A Consumer Reports study found fecal contamination and other bacteria in all ground beef they examined.
The magazine tested 458 pounds of ground beef for five bacteria commonly found in beef: clostridium perfringens, E. coli, enterococcus, salmonella and staphylococcus aureus. All contained enterococcus and nontoxin-producing E. coli, which signify fecal contamination. About 20 percent contained C. perfringens, which causes food poisoning, and 10 percent had S. aureus, which can also make people sick. Only 1 percent contained salmonella.
The beef that came from cows raised in a conventional manner, which includes being fed antibiotics and other drugs, was more likely to have bacteria, especially antibiotic-resistant bacteria, than beef from cows raised sustainably, without antibiotics. Beef from grass-fed cows showed an even bigger drop in multidrug-resistant bacteria. Though while the results do show that sustainable beef is better for your health, it does not entirely eliminate the risks.
But don’t swear off ground beef just yet. Most bacteria gets killed in the cooking process, so make sure to cook thoroughly before eating and wash your hands and any surfaces after preparation.