by Celia Craske

Created on: August 16, 2006   Last Updated: May 04, 2007

Meat and poultry can contain a number of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. These bugs which include campylobacter, salmonella and most seriously, e.coli are destroyed by high temperatures. If meat is undercooked, it may not reach a sufficiently high temperature to kill the bacteria.

Symptoms of food poisoning include abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting which can last several days and leave the sufferer feeling very weak.

Beef and lamb can be eaten underdone as long as the meat is a single piece; either joints or smaller cuts such as steaks and chops. This is because the bacteria are found on the surface of the meat and not in the centre. Provided the outside is cooked at a high temperature, the meat is safe to eat, even if it remains pink in the middle.

Pork and poultry should never be undercooked. If you are cooking either, make sure that you cook it until the juices that run out when you put a skewer in, run clear. Undercooked pork can also cause other health problems such as tapeworm and trichinellosis though these are very rare in commercially reared meat.

Because the bacteria that cause food poisoning live on or near the surface of the meat, the greater the surface area, the greater the risk. Minced or chopped meat of any description and any foods such as sausages and burgers must be thoroughly cooked to avoid the risk of poisoning.

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