UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- National news items detailing hazards associated with food-borne pathogens remind consumers that they should make sure meat is done, but meat safety doesn't mean cooking it to the consistency of a hockey puck, says a meats specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"Meat and poultry products often carry bacteria, some of which may sicken humans," says Edward Mills, associate professor of dairy and animal science.

"The good news about meat is that we almost always cook it before we eat it," he says. "But for cooking to be effective, the heat must reach the pathogen. Consumers must be aware of where microbial pathogens exist on different types of meat products."

Mills says meat products can be separated into two basic categories: whole muscle cuts -- for example, a steak -- and ground meat. "Each has a dramatically different microbiological environment," he adds.

--Steaks and Poultry. Mills explains that the muscles of healthy animals arriving at a processing plant carry no pathogens. Bacteria from the animal's hide, the plant and from workers are transferred to the carcass surface during dressing and subsequently to separate cuts of meat during fabrication, cutting and processing. For poultry, Mills says, the skin is left on the carcass, carrying many of the bacteria that were present on the live bird.

"When broiling or baking, the outside of the cut is subjected to intense heat," Mills says. "This eliminates the bacteria present on the surface of the steak."

Mills says cooks should not be afraid to leave the inside of a broiled steak pink.

He does recommend that chicken parts be cooked until any pinkness in the meat is gone and the juices run clear. In addition, microwave ovens should be used only for meat and poultry that will be cooked to the well-done level, because the ovens heat from within.

--Hamburgers. Bacteria transferred onto the surface of whole muscle meats become more of a threat for causing food-borne diseases because grinding distributes bacteria found on the surface throughout the ground product. Mills says ground product should be cooked until there is no pink color to ensure all pathogens have been eliminated. "The best method to ensure doneness with hamburgers is to cook it until the juices run clear and then leave it on the grill for a minute or two more," Mills says.

"Those who still want rare hamburgers have to make a choice between greater eating enjoyment or greater risk of food-borne infection," he adds.

--Marinated Products. The meat industry has developed new products that are packaged as marinated meats. The method frequently used to marinate these packaged products is called needle marination or deep basting. "The steak or roast is injected with flavoring solution using needles that pierce the surface of the meat," Mills explains. "The injection process will transfer bacteria from the surface to the inside of the meat, which means those products must be cooked thoroughly."

Mills says most needle-marinated products are clearly identified as being injected, but if you can't tell from the appearance or label, ask the meat department personnel behind the counter.

--Tenderized products. Many processors sell meat cuts tenderized by needle blades as well. These products should be cooked thoroughly.

--Restructured products. Mills says some products, such as restructured pork ribs, salisbury steak, cube steak and chicken nuggets, are microbiologically similar to ground meat and should be cooked all the way through.

--Grilling. Mills urges cooks to exercise great care when using meat thermometers to grill hamburgers. Many thermometers are not designed to measure temperature in ground beef patties, and temperature can vary widely within an individual patty. Even experts have difficulty getting an accurate reading. He recommends cooking until no pink color remains or the juices run clear.

--Adequate heat. When cooking with charcoal, build the fire big, Mills says. "You can always back the heat down using water spray, but you can't easily increase heat when there is meat on the grill," he says. "It's also better to close the lid of the barbecue. It will hold heat in and give the meat a smoky flavor. If you cook a steak or hamburger until it's charred, you can be pretty sure all the pathogens are gone. Unfortunately, so is the flavor. By using common sense and experience, most cooks can effectively prepare meat without much risk of undercooking."

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Edward Mills at 814-865-2394.

Contacts: John Wall jtw3@psu.edu 814-863-2719 814-865-1068 fax