Re: Garbage Can Cooking (fatal e-coli infections from undercooked
Amick Robert (amick@SPOT.COLORADO.EDU)
Mon, 25 Aug 1997 13:14:45 -0600
E-coli infections are not a large risk for adults, however they are often
*FATAL* in children. We have lost several children in Colorado in the past
year from fatal e-coli infections. One died from drinking unpasteurized
apple juice, but most of the recent reports, here and in other states,
have been from eating undercooked hamburger. Children's immune systems
cannot cope with the bacteria despite antibiotic and other therapeutic
measures.
The USDA, US Public Health Service, and Centers for Disease Control have
recently indicated that the color of cooked meat is NOT a reliable
indicator that the bacteria have been killed. They are recommending that
the meat internal temperature be measured during cooking, to ensure that
it reaches 160 degrees for ten minutes because meat will turn gray-brown
at lower temperatures. Cultures of meat cooked at lower temperatures
which nontheless appears "gray-brown" in the center have found live
e-coli-bacteria present.
Despite the fact that meat is inspected and cleaned during packing and
processing, the incidence of serious or fatal e-coli infections from
undercooked hamburger in children is increasing at an alarming rate;
so it is essential that adequate precautions are always taken during
cooking. The final "check" in preventing this infection always rests with
the consumer. Make sure it is properly cooked, or don't eat it!
If Scouts are cooking and consuming hamburger, it is extremely important
that adults ensure the cooking temperature is sufficient to kill any
bacteria present; Cross-contamination from hands and utensils used to
prepare raw hamburger is very dangerous. Be sure hands are washed
thoroughly after handling raw meat, and/or use disposable latex/vinyl
gloves which are removed after handling raw meat and before handling
cooked meat.
Be absolutely sure that no utensils, pans or cutting
boards, etc. used unitially to prepare raw meat, are used to
handle or contain cooked meat unless they have first been thoroughly
washed and sanitized with boiling water or chlorine bleach.
Hence, the addition of a cooking thermometer
to the cookbox, and training the Scouts how to use it each time they cook
hamburger, might be a lifesaving investment.
Best wishes,
Bob Amick, EMT-B, Explorer Advisor, High Adventure Explorer Post 72,
Boulder, CO
On Sun, 24 Aug 1997, Joe Marsh wrote:
> (e-coli is..) anillness that in most cases causes stomach cramps and
> diarea, not death.
> Normal healthy people are incovenienced not killed. Still looks bad in
> print. They have said health rules have not changed since 1930 in this
> country. Tell that to a health inspector who will spend 4 hours inspecting
> your market and another hour explaining the inspection. This country has
> the safes food distribution system in the world. Use normal common sense if
> you take Meat products on a campout. Cook them until Red Meat is not even
> pink. You do not have to burn it. An internal temperature of 160 degrees
> for 10 minutes is done. >
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
