USDA finalizes mechanically tenderized beef rule
The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) accelerated the effective date instead of waiting until the next Uniform Compliance Date for Food Labeling Regulations, which is January 2018.
USDA-FSIS advice
Products should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source.
Allow meat to rest for at least three minutes after it has been removed from the heat source before carving or consuming.
During this rest time, the internal temperature is constant or slightly rises to destroy pathogens.
Products must bear labels to show they have been mechanically, blade or needle tenderized. The labels must include validated cooking instructions so consumers know how to safely prepare them.
Instructions will specify the minimum internal temperatures and any hold or “dwell” times to ensure they are fully cooked.
Since 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received reports of six outbreaks attributable to needle or blade tenderized beef products prepared in restaurants and consumers’ homes.
To increase tenderness, some cuts of beef are mechanically pierced with needles or small blades to break up tissue. This can introduce pathogens from the surface of the cut to the interior, increasing the importance of proper cooking, said USDA-FSIS.
The agency said mechanically tenderized products look no different than intact products but consumers must know that they need to handle them differently.
“Labeling mechanically tenderized beef products and including cooking instructions on the package are important steps in helping consumers to safely prepare these products,” said Al Almanza, deputy under secretary.
