BeefburgersIn recent years there has been an increasing number of cases of illness caused by a type of bacteria called E.Coli 0157. Several of these cases have been linked to beefburgers. This Guidance Note provides advice on how to cook beefburgers safely.
What is E.Coli 0157?
- It is a type of bacteria often found in minced meat and beefburgers that can cause serious illness including kidney failure. Young children are particularly at risk and in some cases the disease can be fatal.
What can you do?
- Always store raw beefburgers below 5ºC and separate from salad items, mayonnaise and other ready-to-eat foods.
- Ensure that burgers are thoroughly cooked - to a centre temperature of 70ºC for 2 minutes or an equivalent time/temperature combination. Remember to allow extra time for thicker burgers and also when burgers are cooked directly from frozen.
- Check that the burger is thoroughly cooked in the centre. This can be as simple as testing with a skewer or knife to make sure that the juices run clear, breaking the burger to examine the colour in the centre, or using a probe thermometer to check the centre temperature.
- Wherever possible, serve the burger to the customer immediately after cooking. However, if you do store cooked burgers, make sure that they are kept at a centre temperature of at least 63ºC (preferably 70ºC).
- Use separate utensils and work surfaces for raw food and cooked burgers to avoid cross contamination.
- Always practise good personal hygiene. Wear clean, washable over-clothing and regularly wash your hands especially after handling raw food.
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