On Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 08:35:01PM -0500, Paleo Phil [[log in to unmask]] wrote (in part):
| I don't intentionally eat ground meats raw because I don't know
| how many animals were ground together. The more animals, the
| higher risk of bacterial contamination.

tiny quibble (microbiologically speaking) :)

Actually, the main concern with ground foods is that even with
properly clean blades which grind the food, there is significant
increases the surface area of food exposed to air. The blades
mechanically cause the entire sample of meat to be 'seeded' with
any bacteria present as the blades pulverize the food. This in
itself is not the problem. The issue becomes consumption of this
meat after hours of storage.

An intact slab of meat that is ground fresh just before eating,
even if combined with several other =freshly= ground meats of
other organs or species, which will be consumed in very short
order is highly unlikely to cause problems from bacterial
overgrowth.

Storing ground meat for several hours (cold) or leaving it at
room temperature will decrease its safety this because bacteria
rapidly multiply. People that enjoy steak tartare will have a
better experience with their own ground food. 

One of the basic bacteriology courses for biology students that
may go into health care or food prep, sometimes includes a lab
where the student takes a measured mass of pre-ground packaged
meat, swishes it around in sterile saline to suspend the bacteria
into solution, then a tiny platinum loop of this infusion is
streaked out on enriched medium. As a side by side, you can also
take a dissect a small piece of meat 'core' of the same mass,
that has not been exposed to air, then swish it around in sterile
saline, plate it out likewise in a second sample.

Compare both plates after 37 degree centigrade incubation. You
will generally find quite a profusion of mixed bacteria on the
ground meat plate. The meat core one innoculated plate will be
much cleaner. 
-- 
Janice - proofreading? what's that?
Semavi Anatolians <in California> http://cobankopegi.com
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