Why Ground Beef Is Recalled So Often - Tasting Table

"If you've noticed that ground beef is commonly the subject of food recalls, that's no coincidence. E. coli is a common culprit in some of the biggest ground beef recalls in recent history, but other pathogenic contamination like Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes can occur, too. Ultimately, the reason ground beef is recalled so often from grocery stores, fast food chains, and restaurants has to do with how it's processed, as well as the integrity of the meat's sourcing and handling."

"Ground beef - while tasty when made into burgers or Bolognese - is a risky food from a safety standpoint. It's often ground before it's packaged and shipped to stores. The grinding process itself exposes the meat's surface area to equipment, air, and other potential sources of bacteria, which is one of the reasons ground beef doesn't last as long in the fridge as whole cuts."

"For starters, avoid washing raw ground beef since this increases the risk of transferring food bacteria to food surfaces and nearby ingredients. Also, never cook your burgers "rare." While it might be fine to leave a steak pink in the center, the entire surface area of raw ground beef has been exposed in the grinding process, so you need to cook the entire patty, center and all,"

Ground beef is prone to contamination by pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes because of the grinding process and sourcing complexities. Grinding exposes meat surface area to equipment, air, and other contamination sources, reducing refrigerator shelf life compared with whole cuts. Combining multiple cuts to achieve fat ratios increases the chance of bacterial cross-contamination between animal zones. Frequent recalls stem from processing, sourcing, and handling vulnerabilities across grocery stores, restaurants, and fast‑food chains. Consumers should avoid washing raw ground beef and must cook patties thoroughly rather than serving them rare to eliminate surface and interior contamination.

Read at Tasting Table